The Harford County Green Party surpassed its spring 2008 fundraising goaland immediately planned to increase membership by 100% in 2008.
After setting a low bar of $20 for its first-ever fundraising drive, theparty raised 600% of its goal, a total of $120.
"The group is now on a solid financial footing for our spring and summerplans," noted Brian Bittner, coordinator of the Harford County Green Party. "We only wanted to raise enough to send a letter to our membersand ask them to help pay for our summer events, but instead we raisedenough to update each of our members and cover most of our summer expenses with no further fundraising."
The Harford County Green Party also received a financial grant from the Maryland Green Party to cover a portion of the fees for this year's Farm Fair. The party will be hosting a booth for the second time at this year's fair from July 31st - August 3.
The party has set a new goal of 500 registered Greens in Harford County by the end of 2008. This will double the party's current membership.
"No matter who the national party nominates in July, we will be running a strong presidential candidate this year," Bittner noted. "With candidateson the ballot in November and our registration drives happening all summer, the Green Party will remain the third-largest political party in Harford County and in Maryland."
The Green Party of the United States will be holding its Presidential nominating convention in Chicago on July 13th. Four candidates are running for the party's nomination. Cynthia McKinney, former 6-term Congresswoman from Georgia, is considered the front-runner. Several Harford County Greens will be in attendance at the nominating convention.
The Maryland Green Party was established in 2000. The Harford County Green Party was established in 2005.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Greenwashing
The term came into use around 1990, most notably as the title of an article in the 1991 March/April issue of Mother Jones magazine. The term is generally used when significantly more money or time has been spent advertising being green (that is, operating with consideration for the environment), rather than spending resources on environmentally sound practices. This is often portrayed by changing the name or label of a product, to give the feeling of nature, for example putting an image of a forest on a bottle of harmful chemicals. Environmentalists often use greenwashing to describe the actions of energy companies, which are traditionally the largest polluters.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenwash
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenwash
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Thanks!
We did it! Because of the generous donations of several Harford County Greens and other Maryland Greens, we raised 600% of our March fundraising goal. We brought in $120, which helped us mail all of our members reminders about next month's Maryland Green Party Annual Assembly and our table at the Farm Fair this summer.
Our next fundraising drive is coming up. Stay tuned to this blog and our website for more information about how you can make our fundraising and membership drives a success!
Our next fundraising drive is coming up. Stay tuned to this blog and our website for more information about how you can make our fundraising and membership drives a success!
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Help!
We need $5.90 by April 1st.
We are activivating our membership for some big spring and summer events. We are tabling at the Earth Day Festival in Aberdeen and for four days at the Harford County Farm Fair. Our membership has grown 10% in the last year and we need to seed more growth.
We've raised $14.10 so far. That's six dollars to go in three days! If you can send us two bucks, we'll meet our goal.
We are activivating our membership for some big spring and summer events. We are tabling at the Earth Day Festival in Aberdeen and for four days at the Harford County Farm Fair. Our membership has grown 10% in the last year and we need to seed more growth.
We've raised $14.10 so far. That's six dollars to go in three days! If you can send us two bucks, we'll meet our goal.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Vote
The Maryland Green Party primary has begun. Since state law prevents us from running candidates in the state-funding primary election, we have to organize our own. Go to www.mdgreens.org/primary to download a ballot for the Presidential nomination. We have four candidates running for the Green Party's nomination this year. You can read more about them at www.gp.org.
Unfortunately, no one has declared a run for Congress in any of Harford County's Congressional Districts. It's not too late, though! If you are Green and are interested in running for Congress, a special nomination can be made any time until July. The paperwork is not as hard as you may think and we have many experienced candidates and campaign team members who can give you guidance on a successful Congressional run. Check out www.mdgreens.org/run for information.
Unfortunately, no one has declared a run for Congress in any of Harford County's Congressional Districts. It's not too late, though! If you are Green and are interested in running for Congress, a special nomination can be made any time until July. The paperwork is not as hard as you may think and we have many experienced candidates and campaign team members who can give you guidance on a successful Congressional run. Check out www.mdgreens.org/run for information.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Meeting
Members of the Green Party will be speaking Friday night, February 29th, at the Vote the Power launch party. Vote the Power is a local voting rights group which calls itself a "campaign for the voters." We will be attending this event instead of our usual first-of-the-month meeting.
Come on out to see the Green Party, hand out some literature, and enjoy some food and drink. The event will be held at 6:30 pm at the Aberdeen Fire Hall, 21 North Rogers Street, Aberdeen, Maryland 21001.
Come on out to see the Green Party, hand out some literature, and enjoy some food and drink. The event will be held at 6:30 pm at the Aberdeen Fire Hall, 21 North Rogers Street, Aberdeen, Maryland 21001.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Testify
This afternoon a Harford County Green delivered the following testimony to the Maryland House Judiciary Committee in support of HB 351, the Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act. The act would specify that any two people, regardless of gender, who were otherwise eligible to be married would be allowed to do so.
The bill needs to be given a favorable recommendation by the Judiciary Committee to go forward for a vote by the House. Please call the members of the House Judiciary Committee, particularly Susan McComas of Bel Air (410-836-9449 or 410-841-3289) and ask them to recommend HB 351.
Testimony and Statement for the Record
In support of the Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act (HB 351)
Submitted by Shanna Borell on behalf of the Maryland Green Party
Before the House Judiciary Committee
February 28, 2008
My name is Shanna Borell. I am the Harford County delegate to the Maryland Green Party’s Coordinating Council. I am a graduate student at the University of Maryland, School of Social Work. And I am the daughter of a lesbian.
I support this bill because I support families. Discriminating against certain families because the parents of that family happen to be the same sex is unfair and unjust. All families deserve the same legal protections regardless of the sex of the parents.
We provide the benefits of marriage because we recognize how these benefits strengthen couples and families. If we are serious about protecting families in this state, we need to take seriously the danger and insecurity to which we expose children when we deny them the rights provided by a civil marriage. Some of these rights include child custody rights, hospital visitation rights, and the right to be legally recognized as a family or couple.
Moreover, allowing same-sex couples to marry in no way affects heterosexual couples. This bill serves to make marriage more inclusive so that devoted, loving couples can secure the same rights as heterosexual couples. It also helps all parents provide a safer, more stable environment for their children.
I am lucky because I never had to experience any number of things children might have to go through on account of their parents not being legally married. I was never threatened to be taken away from my family because it was not recognized as a legal entity, but some children do.
And I have had to watch my mother go without health insurance because she could not get insurance through her long-time partner. I have had to watch her worry that she might not be able to visit her partner in the hospital or be allowed to help make medical decisions if she gets very sick. And why? Because some people may not like her choice in partner? Doesn’t my family deserve the same respect and dignity as other families?
The issue of protecting families is paramount. It is essential that Maryland help promote strong families regardless of the sex of the parents by making marriage an option to same-sex couples. Even as a social work student just starting out in this field, I know how important these rights and benefits are to families. Everyday I see how vulnerable children and couples can be when denied these rights.
In accordance with its key values of respects for diversity and social justice, the Maryland Green Party strongly supports the rights of gays and lesbians in its party platform. The Maryland Green Party views the right to marry as a civil rights issue and believes that denying same-sex couples that right goes against the American principles of equality and justice.
How can Maryland justify the creation of a second-class citizenry on the basis of sexual orientation? It is time that Maryland takes a stand on this important issue and ends marriage discrimination.
Support the Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act (HB 351) to protect and strengthen Maryland’s couples and families, providing more stable futures for our children.
The bill needs to be given a favorable recommendation by the Judiciary Committee to go forward for a vote by the House. Please call the members of the House Judiciary Committee, particularly Susan McComas of Bel Air (410-836-9449 or 410-841-3289) and ask them to recommend HB 351.
Testimony and Statement for the Record
In support of the Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act (HB 351)
Submitted by Shanna Borell on behalf of the Maryland Green Party
Before the House Judiciary Committee
February 28, 2008
My name is Shanna Borell. I am the Harford County delegate to the Maryland Green Party’s Coordinating Council. I am a graduate student at the University of Maryland, School of Social Work. And I am the daughter of a lesbian.
I support this bill because I support families. Discriminating against certain families because the parents of that family happen to be the same sex is unfair and unjust. All families deserve the same legal protections regardless of the sex of the parents.
We provide the benefits of marriage because we recognize how these benefits strengthen couples and families. If we are serious about protecting families in this state, we need to take seriously the danger and insecurity to which we expose children when we deny them the rights provided by a civil marriage. Some of these rights include child custody rights, hospital visitation rights, and the right to be legally recognized as a family or couple.
Moreover, allowing same-sex couples to marry in no way affects heterosexual couples. This bill serves to make marriage more inclusive so that devoted, loving couples can secure the same rights as heterosexual couples. It also helps all parents provide a safer, more stable environment for their children.
I am lucky because I never had to experience any number of things children might have to go through on account of their parents not being legally married. I was never threatened to be taken away from my family because it was not recognized as a legal entity, but some children do.
And I have had to watch my mother go without health insurance because she could not get insurance through her long-time partner. I have had to watch her worry that she might not be able to visit her partner in the hospital or be allowed to help make medical decisions if she gets very sick. And why? Because some people may not like her choice in partner? Doesn’t my family deserve the same respect and dignity as other families?
The issue of protecting families is paramount. It is essential that Maryland help promote strong families regardless of the sex of the parents by making marriage an option to same-sex couples. Even as a social work student just starting out in this field, I know how important these rights and benefits are to families. Everyday I see how vulnerable children and couples can be when denied these rights.
In accordance with its key values of respects for diversity and social justice, the Maryland Green Party strongly supports the rights of gays and lesbians in its party platform. The Maryland Green Party views the right to marry as a civil rights issue and believes that denying same-sex couples that right goes against the American principles of equality and justice.
How can Maryland justify the creation of a second-class citizenry on the basis of sexual orientation? It is time that Maryland takes a stand on this important issue and ends marriage discrimination.
Support the Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act (HB 351) to protect and strengthen Maryland’s couples and families, providing more stable futures for our children.
Letter
Printed in The Aegis, February 20, 2008
Dear Editors,
Now that the primary election is over I can stop complaining about not being allowed to vote for non-partisan offices and focus on the general election. In November I will be "wasting" my vote on a non-Republicrat, but at least all voters -independents and third-party members included - will now be allowed to do what The Aegis described as our duty as citizens, and we could have up to four parties to choose a President from in November.
I would like to ask the members of the Harford County delegation to the General Assembly to work on a way for registered independents and minor party members to be able to vote for judges, whose offices are supposedly "non-partisan". These elections could easily be held during the general election, when everyone is allowed to vote. Surely our new-fangled electronic voting machines can allow someone like me to vote only for non-partisan positions. We have the technology - we can make our democracy better, stronger, and faster.
Many people came out to vote last week because they sensed an opportunity for change, or to vote for a type of candidate they've never been able to cast a vote for before. I'd like to ask voters to think about what change really means, and tothink about voting for one of the third-party options you will see on November's ballots.
The Republican Party of Abraham Lincoln - the one that ended slavery - was a third party that stood in opposition to two dominant parties that either supported or merely did nothing to stop slavery. Third parties play the same role today by standing in opposition to the wars, poverty, and corporate control that other parties either promote or merely accept.
Brian Bittner
Coordinator, Harford County Green Party
Dear Editors,
Now that the primary election is over I can stop complaining about not being allowed to vote for non-partisan offices and focus on the general election. In November I will be "wasting" my vote on a non-Republicrat, but at least all voters -independents and third-party members included - will now be allowed to do what The Aegis described as our duty as citizens, and we could have up to four parties to choose a President from in November.
I would like to ask the members of the Harford County delegation to the General Assembly to work on a way for registered independents and minor party members to be able to vote for judges, whose offices are supposedly "non-partisan". These elections could easily be held during the general election, when everyone is allowed to vote. Surely our new-fangled electronic voting machines can allow someone like me to vote only for non-partisan positions. We have the technology - we can make our democracy better, stronger, and faster.
Many people came out to vote last week because they sensed an opportunity for change, or to vote for a type of candidate they've never been able to cast a vote for before. I'd like to ask voters to think about what change really means, and tothink about voting for one of the third-party options you will see on November's ballots.
The Republican Party of Abraham Lincoln - the one that ended slavery - was a third party that stood in opposition to two dominant parties that either supported or merely did nothing to stop slavery. Third parties play the same role today by standing in opposition to the wars, poverty, and corporate control that other parties either promote or merely accept.
Brian Bittner
Coordinator, Harford County Green Party
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Assemble
The Maryland Green Party Annual Assembly will be held on Saturday, May 3rd at Towson University. We will elect our 2008-2009 officers, announce the results of our Congressional primary elections, and nominate a Presidential candidate. For more information and to register on-line, check out www.mdgreens.org/assembly.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Run
The Maryland Green Party plans to run candidates for House of Representatives in all eight of Maryland's district this year. We are looking for candidates in all of Harford County's Congressional Districts. If you would like to run for Congress as a Green in 2008 and want more information, e-mail coordinator@harfordcountygreenparty.com.
Donate
Please consider helping out the Harford County Green Party with a small donation. We are planning to host a table at this year's Farm Fair, which costs over $300, and support our Congressional and Presidential candidates by buying signs, flyers, stickers, and whatever else we can distribute before the general election. Please send a check to Harford County Green Party, P.O. Box 1721, Bel Air, MD 21014. Please make checks out to "Maryland Green Party" and note "Harford County" on the memo line. Thank you!
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Returns
UPDATE: Here are the DC Green Party primary returns from February 12, 2008.
Cynthia McKinney 202 votes 44%
write-ins 131 votes 27%
Howie Hawkins 32 votes 7%
no candidate 54 votes 11%
Kat Swift 20 votes 4%
Jared Ball 19 votes 4%
Kent Mesplay 15 votes 3%
Jesse Johnson 14 votes 3%
On Super Tuesday, 4 states held Green Party primaries. Voters were able to go to the polls and vote for Greens just like Democrats and Republicans in Arkansas, California, Illinois, and Massachusetts. Here are the results that are available on-line:
Illinois (97% of precincts reporting)
Cynthia McKinney 1,446 votes 57%
Howie Hawkins 438 votes 17%
Kent Mesplay 369 votes 14%
Jared Ball 302 votes 12%
California (96% of precincts reporting)
Ralph Nader 16,835 votes 61.1%
Cynthia McKinney 7,124 votes 26%
Elaine Brown 1,259 votes 4.5%
Kat Swift 843 votes 3.0%
Kent Mesplay 564 votes 2%
Jesse Johnson 506 votes 1.8%
Jared Ball 444 votes 1.6%
Arkansas (95% of precincts reporting)
Uncommitted 404 votes 55%
Cynthia McKinney 149 votes 22%
Jared Ball 74 votes 10%
Kent Mesplay 59 votes 8%
Kat Swift 43 votes 6%
Notes: After the ballots were produced, Elaine Brown and Jared Ball withdrew from the race. Howie Hawkins is running as a place-holder for Ralph Nader. Ralph Nader is currently exploring a run but has not announced himself as a candidate yet.
Cynthia McKinney 202 votes 44%
write-ins 131 votes 27%
Howie Hawkins 32 votes 7%
no candidate 54 votes 11%
Kat Swift 20 votes 4%
Jared Ball 19 votes 4%
Kent Mesplay 15 votes 3%
Jesse Johnson 14 votes 3%
On Super Tuesday, 4 states held Green Party primaries. Voters were able to go to the polls and vote for Greens just like Democrats and Republicans in Arkansas, California, Illinois, and Massachusetts. Here are the results that are available on-line:
Illinois (97% of precincts reporting)
Cynthia McKinney 1,446 votes 57%
Howie Hawkins 438 votes 17%
Kent Mesplay 369 votes 14%
Jared Ball 302 votes 12%
California (96% of precincts reporting)
Ralph Nader 16,835 votes 61.1%
Cynthia McKinney 7,124 votes 26%
Elaine Brown 1,259 votes 4.5%
Kat Swift 843 votes 3.0%
Kent Mesplay 564 votes 2%
Jesse Johnson 506 votes 1.8%
Jared Ball 444 votes 1.6%
Arkansas (95% of precincts reporting)
Uncommitted 404 votes 55%
Cynthia McKinney 149 votes 22%
Jared Ball 74 votes 10%
Kent Mesplay 59 votes 8%
Kat Swift 43 votes 6%
Notes: After the ballots were produced, Elaine Brown and Jared Ball withdrew from the race. Howie Hawkins is running as a place-holder for Ralph Nader. Ralph Nader is currently exploring a run but has not announced himself as a candidate yet.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Meeting
The time and location of the next HCGP meeting have been changed to 6:30 pm this Friday the 1st. We will meet at Shamrock Coffee at 22 S. Main Street in Bel Air. At 7, the local group Just4Peace will hold a peace demonstration down the block at the courthouse in Bel Air. Check them out at www.just4peace.org. See you at the meeting!
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Suggestions
Here's a reprint from the blog of a Harford County Green. Check her out at http://shannarows.blogspot.com/. And go ahead and comment on how you are doing something simple to green up your life.
Ten Things Even I Can Do To Save The Environment
"It's great that 'going green' has become so fashionable, but I have a problem with the movement's lack of good suggestions for regular people to green up their lives. The suggestions are usually buy a hybrid car and new windows (which I can't afford) or obvious things like recycling (which is still important). So I came up with my own list. Enjoy.
1. Conserve energy - Ok, this might fall into the obvious category, but little things do add up, plus it can save you money. Here are some suggestions: replace your light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs, turn off all appliances and electronics when you leave/ sleep, hang clothes to dry, keep the thermostat low in the winter and high in the summer.
2. Reduce paper waste – I get an ass load of junk mail, so I recently added my name to the 'do not send me so much freaking mail list,' and you can too! Go here: https://www.directmail.com/directory/mail_preference/. You can also pay bills online and opt out of paper billing, reuse paper as scrap paper, use cloth instead of paper products like napkins. This year I'm using paper bags and newspaper to wrap all my gifts, and I'm decorating them with pictures cut out of catalogs.
3. Generate less trash – Trash is a huge problem, and we Americans love to make lots of it! The first step in generating less trash is to buy less trash. Pay attention to packaging. Don't put fruits and veggies in a bag unless you really need to. Get a reusable, cloth shopping bag. Find creative ways to reuse what might otherwise be trash. Buy in bulk. Compost and make your own nutrient rich dirt! Here's an article on how you can do it even in a third story apartment: http://www.yougrowgirl.com/garden/urbancomposting.php.
4. Buy local and/or organic – Farmer's markets are actually really awesome, and they are all over the place. You can find one in your area here: http://www.localharvest.org/. Buying local means your food has to travel less. Buying organic means fewer pesticides entering the food web and polluting waterways – not to mention less cancer for you!
5. Join the Green Party – If the Democrats were so great, Baltimore (and Maryland for that matter) would be a utopia. The GP is the fastest growing third party in the US and is the only party serious about cleaning up the environment (among other important issues). And you can really make a difference in this party because it's structured to empower people on a local level. Learn more about the GP in Maryland at http://mdgreens.org// or the national GP at http://gp.org/.
6. Buy used and freecycle – Ok, seriously. There is so much junk floating around it's just irresponsible to buy everything new. And buying used is great for a lot of reasons. First, you're not contributing to more waste. Second, you pay way less. Third, you can find interesting and unique items not mass produced in some dirty sweatshop. And freecycling is giving and getting stuff for free! Go to freecycle.org and sign up for a list in your area. You'll probably be surprised at how awesome this is. I was!
7. Eat less (or no) meat – What finally convinced me to become a vegetarian is the environmental impact it has. Research shows that being a vegetarian has greater impact than driving a Prius (which is good because I can't afford to drive a Prius anyway). But seriously, being a vegetarian is actually very easy. You can get protein from all kinds of food. There are substitutes for basically everything – that actually taste good. The only time it's kind of inconvenient is when I eat out and have limited options, but that's relatively rare. Here's an article to try to convince you: http://www.alternet.org/environment/47668.
8. Use public transportation – This can be difficult depending on where you live, but research your options. You may find out that you can take a commuter bus when you travel to a nearby city. You might be closer to a metro/light rail/train than you thought. Some people think they don't like public transportation because it's inconvenient, but I think it's WAY more convenient than driving. You don't have to worry about parking or crazy, aggressive drivers or how drunk you get. Plus you can sleep, read, crochet, or whatever you'd rather be doing besides driving.
9. Use natural cleaners – I am guilty of buying those caustic, toxic chemicals to clean my apartment. But it's important to remember that when you rinse those things down the drain, they enter the ecosystem and watershed. But don't worry, you don't have to have nasty mildew growing in your shower. There are great alternatives, including a whole slew of products like Seventh Generation that claim to be eco-friendly. You can also make a lot of cleaners out of safe stuff you probably have around your house anyway like vinegar, lemon juice, and baking soda. Here's a great resource: http://www.naturodoc.com/library/lifestyle/cleaner.htm.
10. Get inspired – This might seem obvious too, but our society does not make these suggestions convenient and it takes some motivation to stick to it. I stumbled on this great little movie recently, and it helped inspire me, so I thought I'd share it with all of you: http://www.storyofstuff.com/.
Ten Things Even I Can Do To Save The Environment
"It's great that 'going green' has become so fashionable, but I have a problem with the movement's lack of good suggestions for regular people to green up their lives. The suggestions are usually buy a hybrid car and new windows (which I can't afford) or obvious things like recycling (which is still important). So I came up with my own list. Enjoy.
1. Conserve energy - Ok, this might fall into the obvious category, but little things do add up, plus it can save you money. Here are some suggestions: replace your light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs, turn off all appliances and electronics when you leave/ sleep, hang clothes to dry, keep the thermostat low in the winter and high in the summer.
2. Reduce paper waste – I get an ass load of junk mail, so I recently added my name to the 'do not send me so much freaking mail list,' and you can too! Go here: https://www.directmail.com/directory/mail_preference/. You can also pay bills online and opt out of paper billing, reuse paper as scrap paper, use cloth instead of paper products like napkins. This year I'm using paper bags and newspaper to wrap all my gifts, and I'm decorating them with pictures cut out of catalogs.
3. Generate less trash – Trash is a huge problem, and we Americans love to make lots of it! The first step in generating less trash is to buy less trash. Pay attention to packaging. Don't put fruits and veggies in a bag unless you really need to. Get a reusable, cloth shopping bag. Find creative ways to reuse what might otherwise be trash. Buy in bulk. Compost and make your own nutrient rich dirt! Here's an article on how you can do it even in a third story apartment: http://www.yougrowgirl.com/garden/urbancomposting.php.
4. Buy local and/or organic – Farmer's markets are actually really awesome, and they are all over the place. You can find one in your area here: http://www.localharvest.org/. Buying local means your food has to travel less. Buying organic means fewer pesticides entering the food web and polluting waterways – not to mention less cancer for you!
5. Join the Green Party – If the Democrats were so great, Baltimore (and Maryland for that matter) would be a utopia. The GP is the fastest growing third party in the US and is the only party serious about cleaning up the environment (among other important issues). And you can really make a difference in this party because it's structured to empower people on a local level. Learn more about the GP in Maryland at http://mdgreens.org// or the national GP at http://gp.org/.
6. Buy used and freecycle – Ok, seriously. There is so much junk floating around it's just irresponsible to buy everything new. And buying used is great for a lot of reasons. First, you're not contributing to more waste. Second, you pay way less. Third, you can find interesting and unique items not mass produced in some dirty sweatshop. And freecycling is giving and getting stuff for free! Go to freecycle.org and sign up for a list in your area. You'll probably be surprised at how awesome this is. I was!
7. Eat less (or no) meat – What finally convinced me to become a vegetarian is the environmental impact it has. Research shows that being a vegetarian has greater impact than driving a Prius (which is good because I can't afford to drive a Prius anyway). But seriously, being a vegetarian is actually very easy. You can get protein from all kinds of food. There are substitutes for basically everything – that actually taste good. The only time it's kind of inconvenient is when I eat out and have limited options, but that's relatively rare. Here's an article to try to convince you: http://www.alternet.org/environment/47668.
8. Use public transportation – This can be difficult depending on where you live, but research your options. You may find out that you can take a commuter bus when you travel to a nearby city. You might be closer to a metro/light rail/train than you thought. Some people think they don't like public transportation because it's inconvenient, but I think it's WAY more convenient than driving. You don't have to worry about parking or crazy, aggressive drivers or how drunk you get. Plus you can sleep, read, crochet, or whatever you'd rather be doing besides driving.
9. Use natural cleaners – I am guilty of buying those caustic, toxic chemicals to clean my apartment. But it's important to remember that when you rinse those things down the drain, they enter the ecosystem and watershed. But don't worry, you don't have to have nasty mildew growing in your shower. There are great alternatives, including a whole slew of products like Seventh Generation that claim to be eco-friendly. You can also make a lot of cleaners out of safe stuff you probably have around your house anyway like vinegar, lemon juice, and baking soda. Here's a great resource: http://www.naturodoc.com/library/lifestyle/cleaner.htm.
10. Get inspired – This might seem obvious too, but our society does not make these suggestions convenient and it takes some motivation to stick to it. I stumbled on this great little movie recently, and it helped inspire me, so I thought I'd share it with all of you: http://www.storyofstuff.com/.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Stimulus
Today's Washington Post: "Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke endorsed government efforts to stimulate the economy yesterday, as congressional leaders and the Bush administration moved closer to agreement on a plan."
What is the difference between an economic stimulus package and the daily economic stimulus of subsidies, protectionist tariffs, bailouts, and billions more in corporate welfare? If economic stimulus really worked, it probably should have already. Maybe there were just too many promises that there would always be a thriving spending class to buy comforting but useless cheap plastic crap.
"A continually growing economy is seen as essential by virtually all economists and politicians, although it should be abundantly clear by now that unlimited expansion in a finite environment can only lead to disaster.
Belief in the necessity of continuing growth is a blatant illustration of the fallacy of linear thinking: the erroneous belief that if something is good for an individual or a group, then more of the same must necessarily be better...The whole is identified with the sum of its parts. The fact that it can be either more or less than this sum, depending on the positive or negative interference among the parts, is ignored. The consequences of this reductionist fallacy are now becoming painfully visible, as economic forces collide with each other with increasing frequency, tear the social fabric, destroy the natural environment, and generate international political tensions."
(Charlene Spretnak and Fritjof Capra, Green Politics: The Global Promise)
What is the difference between an economic stimulus package and the daily economic stimulus of subsidies, protectionist tariffs, bailouts, and billions more in corporate welfare? If economic stimulus really worked, it probably should have already. Maybe there were just too many promises that there would always be a thriving spending class to buy comforting but useless cheap plastic crap.
"A continually growing economy is seen as essential by virtually all economists and politicians, although it should be abundantly clear by now that unlimited expansion in a finite environment can only lead to disaster.
Belief in the necessity of continuing growth is a blatant illustration of the fallacy of linear thinking: the erroneous belief that if something is good for an individual or a group, then more of the same must necessarily be better...The whole is identified with the sum of its parts. The fact that it can be either more or less than this sum, depending on the positive or negative interference among the parts, is ignored. The consequences of this reductionist fallacy are now becoming painfully visible, as economic forces collide with each other with increasing frequency, tear the social fabric, destroy the natural environment, and generate international political tensions."
(Charlene Spretnak and Fritjof Capra, Green Politics: The Global Promise)
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