Darrell G. Moen, Ph.D.

  The Population Myth

People who claim that population growth is the big environmental issue are shifting the blame from the rich to the poor

By George Monbiot.

October 03, 2009 The Guardian” — 29th September 2009 — It’s no coincidence that most of those who are obsessed with population growth are post-reproductive wealthy white men: it’s about the only environmental issue for which they can’t be blamed. The brilliant earth systems scientist James Lovelock, for example, claimed last month that “those who fail to see that population growth and climate change are two sides of the same coin are either ignorant or hiding from the truth. These two huge environmental problems are inseparable and to discuss one while ignoring the other is irrational.”(1) But it’s Lovelock who is being ignorant and irrational.

A paper published yesterday in the journal Environment and Urbanization shows that the places where population has been growing fastest are those in which carbon dioxide has been growing most slowly, and vice versa. Between 1980 and 2005, for example, Sub-Saharan Africa produced 18.5% of the world’s population growth and just 2.4% of the growth in CO2. North America turned out 4% of the extra people, but 14% of the extra emissions. Sixty-three per cent of the world’s population growth happened in places with very low emissions(2). (more…)

Counterpunch Weekend Edition: August 7-9, 2009

By MIGUEL TINKER SALAS

I would submit that events in Honduras are not isolated, but rather part of a conservative counterattack taking shape in Latin America. For some time, the right has been rebuilding in Latin America; hosting conferences, sharing experiences, refining their message, working with the media, and building ties with allies in the United States. This is not the lunatic right fringe, but rather the mainstream right with powerful allies in the middle class that used to consider themselves center, but have been frightened by recent left electoral victories and the rise of social movements. With Obama in the White House and Clinton in the State Department they have now decided to act. Bush/Cheney and company did not give them any coverage and had become of little use to them. A “liberal” in the White House gives conservative forces the kind of coverage they had hoped for. It is no coincidence that Venezuelan opposition commentators applauded the naming of Clinton to the State Department claiming that they now had an ally in the administration. The old cold warrior axiom that the best antidote against the left is a liberal government in Washington gains new meaning under Obama with Clinton at the State Department. (more…)

Stories of Hope and Change You Didn’t Hear About in 2007 and 2008. Project Censored 2009 highlights a new form of journalism: one that looks for the places where real change for the better is already underway. Here are their 10 featured stories…

Communities take on corporate power

Small town citizens are claiming the right to govern themselves by adopting laws that protect their voting rights and their natural resources while challenging the laws stacked in favor of corporations. The courts have not yet ruled on some of these measures. If they are challenged, no one knows what the outcome will be. But these new activists point to the abolitionist and women’s suffrage movements, which also were viewed as radical challenges to well-settled law. In the best tradition of the patriots of the 13 colonies, these communities are asserting their right to govern themselves and to make sure their votes count.
Communities Take Power
Doug Pibel, “Communities Take Power” YES! Magazine #43, Fall 2007
Humboldt County, California, first to abolish “corporate personhood”
Kaitlin Sopoci-Belknap, “Democracy Unlimited” YES! Magazine #43, Fall 2007

The environmental movement: Now there is a place for everyone

Since the blockbuster success of the 2007 documentary “An Inconvenient Truth,” the attitude toward global climate change has turned a corner. It seems like everyone is suddenly, and ostentatiously, “going green.” Mainstream media programs are promoting “environmental alternatives” and even Fortune 500 CEOs are talking about their efforts to reduce their companies’ “carbon footprint.” What isn’t making it into the national conversation is a core cause for the global crisis: the inequality of wealth, power, and consumption. Yet millions of environmental activists know that the climate crisis can’t be solved without also taking on the poverty crisis. These hard-working groups from all parts of the world aren’t waiting for the mainstream to catch up. They’re putting these issues on the agenda now.
Social Justice First at Climate Negotiations in Bali
Tom Athanasiou, “Global Fairness” YES! Magazine #45, Spring 2008
The Green Economy Can Carry All
Ian Kim, “Green Jobs for All” YES! Magazine #45, Spring 2008
Retooling for Green Jobs that Serve the Poor and Working People
Doug Pibel, “Unions, Churches, and Schools” YES! Magazine #45, Spring 2008
Young People with a Passion for Climate Protection
Shadia Fayne Wood, “Youth Feel the Power” YES! #45, Spring 2008
A Global Water Movement
Maude Barlow, “Life, Liberty, Water” YES! Magazine #46, Summer 2008

Food: Consumers say yes to local agriculture; no to GMO

A consensus is building around the world about the dangers facing our global food chain. The small farmers at the front lines of this historic struggle are beginning to make important headway—for which we may all owe them a debt of gratitude.
Europe’s Patents Office Revokes Monsanto’s Monopoly on Genetically Modified Soy
Hope Shand, “Challenging Monsanto’s Monopoly”, Z Magazine, July/Aug 2007
Saskatchewan Farmer Reaches Settlement with Agribusiness Giant Monsanto Canada Inc.
Barbara L. Minton, “Small Farmer Wins Moral Victory Over Monsanto” NaturalNews.com, April 01, 2008
World’s Largest Rice Exporters, Processors, and Retailers Won’t Purchase GE Rice
Rik Langendoen, “No to Genetically Engineered Rice” YES! Magazine #42, Summer 2007
Mallorca, Menorca, and Ibiza Declared a GMO-free Zone
“Spanish Islands Go GMO-Free” YES! Magazine #44, Winter 2008

Indigenous peoples: The fight for recognition bears fruit

The global movement to recognize and respect the rights of indigenous peoples took a dramatic step forward in 2007 with the adoption of the UN Declaration on Indigenous Rights. Many corporations and governments continue to exploit and appropriate the lands of native people—including some of the world’s most biodiverse and environmentally productive regions. But the recognition of the rights of first peoples is growing, and the indigenous peoples of the world are joining forces.
United Nations General Assembly Passes Indigenous Rights Declaration
Poka Laenui, “U.N. Declaration on Indigenous Rights” YES! Magazine #44, Winter 2008
Bolivia’s New Constitution Fully Recognizes Indigenous Sovereignty
Juliette Beck, “Bolivia Adopts New Constitution” YES! Magazine #45, Spring 2008
Indigenous Nations Call on the World to Adopt a Culture of Life
Jallalla Indigenous Pueblos and Nations of Abya Yala, “Declaration of La Paz” YES! magazine #42, Summer 2007

Energy alternatives take hold

While the “pain at the pump” is allowing the debate about energy to broaden once again in the mainstream media, think tanks like the American Enterprise Institute are working hard to position nuclear and coal as the only “alternatives.” Commuters, school districts, home owners, and others who are paying the financial, security, and environmental costs of oil dependence are “getting it” though. Real alternatives and opportunities are taking hold around the world, and even here in the U.S.
Solar Industry Poised for Rapid Growth
Alisa Gravitz, “Solar Power Surge” YES! Magazine #43, Fall 2007
Enough Wind, Solar, Geothermal, and Tidal Power to Power the U.S.
Guy Dauncey, “Electricity: an Astonishing Abundance” YES! Magazine #45, Spring 2008
Kansas Secretary of Health and Environment Blocks Two Coal-fired Power Plants
Margit Christenson, “Blocking Big Coal” YES! Magazine #44, Winter 2008
“I won’t buy another new car unless it has a plug on it.”
Sherry Boschert, “The Secret Life of Plug-in Hybrids” YES! Magazine #45, Spring 2008
How Can All U.S. buildings Be 100 Percent Carbon Neutral By 2030?
Guy Dauncey, “Smart, Green Buildings” YES! Magazine #45, Spring 2008

Altering the media landscape

As the corporate media increasingly acts as stenographers and spinmeisters for the status quo; people are looking elsewhere for reliable sources of information. Independent media outlets are becoming the news source of choice for many. Meanwhile, people power and citizen pressure are beginning to chip away at the monolithic structure of big media multinationals.
Maine’s Legislature First in the Nation to Protect Net Neutrality
Jon Bartholomew, “Maine Leads on Net Neutrality” YES! Magazine #43, Fall 2007
Crackdown on Fake News
Margit Christenson, “FCC Fines Comcast for Fake News” YES! Magazine #44, Winter 2008
The People Speak Out at FCC Hearing
“The People Speak Out at FCC Hearing in Seattle” YES! Online

Real health care solutions are on the table

The debate about healthcare is receiving more diverse coverage in the media than it has in many decades. It cannot be denied that the much-maligned Michael Moore documentary “Sicko” created an opportunity to change the conversation. Programs like the PBS series “Unnatural Causes: Is Inequality Making Us Sick?” and Frontline’s “Sick Around the World” are digging deep into the reality of the situation. Healthcare activists are building on this national movement.
Michael Moore’s Film, “SICKO” Opens Door to Community Organizing
“Sicko Paves the Way” YES! Magazine #43, Fall 2007
San Francisco First to Offer Health Care for All
Brooke Jarvis, “San Francisco’s Health Care for All” YES! Magazine #44, Winter 2008
Has Cuba Got the Cure?
Sarah van Gelder, “Health Care for All; Love, Cuba” YES! #42, Summer 2007

Developing countries take charge of their economies
For years, “developing nations” in Africa and South America have been challenging the neocolonial economic policies that have hindered their growth and autonomy. In 2007 and 2008, many countries pulled away from the old models with a speed that left transnational corporations, multi-lateral agencies (and the US media) speechless.
Latin America Goes Dept Free
Sarah Anderson, “IMF: Paid in Full” YES! Magazine #42, Summer 2007
Reclaiming Corn and Culture
Wendy Call, “New Light in the Sky” YES! Magazine #46, Summer 2008
African Countries Stand Up to European Union
Ignacio Ramonet, “Africa Says No” Le Monde Diplomatique, January 2008 and
Tom Knudson, “Promises and Poverty” Sacramento Bee, 9/23/2007
Ethiopia Wins Battle With Starbucks Over Trademark Entitlement
Matthew Clark, “In trademarking its coffee, Ethiopia seeks fair trade” The Christian Science Monitor

Moving beyond war

While the Iraq conflict sparked large protests throughout the world, the larger “war on terror” has had a quieter, more profound impact that has grown largely unnoticed in recent years. Now, even the hawks of yesterday are recognizing the worth of the anti-war movement and its call for a move beyond war.
Nuclear Abolition More Urgent Than Ever
“George Shultz Calls for the Abolition of Nuclear Weapons,” an interview with Sarah van Gelder, YES! Magazine #46, Summer 2008
A Responsible Plan to Exit Iraq
Erik Leaver, “Candidates for Congress Show the Way Out” YES! Magazine #46, Summer 2008
Has Your Town Declared Peace Yet?
Ben Manski and Karen Dolan, “Cities Declare Peace” YES! Magazine #46, Summer 2008
Shifting Our Defense Budget
Miriam Pemberton, “Raiding the War Chest” YES! Magazine #46, Summer 2008

Seattle: The beginning of a new culture of activism

The “Battle in Seattle” against the WTO was but a single event in an ongoing struggle to take back power from global corporations and finance agencies. Nonetheless, the 1999 mass protest, direct action, and popular education events marked a turning point in activism. People around the world are taking notice.
WTO Protests in Seattle Sparked Biggest Global Movement
Paul Hawken, “Remembering the Battle of Seattle” Ode Magazine June 2007
Another World is Possible—Another U.S. is Necessary
Sarah van Gelder, “We Saw Another World in Atlanta” YES! Magazine #43 Fall 2007
Taking On Corporate Power
Michael Marx and Marjorie Kelly, “Who Will Rule” YES! Magazine #43, Fall 2007

Read an excerpt from Project Censored 2009
 

Global Exchange Fact Sheet: 10 Ways to Democratize the Global Economy

              Citizens can and should play an active role in shaping the future of our global economy. Here are some of the ways in which we can work together to reform global trade rules, demand that corporations are accountable to people’s needs, build strong and free labor and promote fair and environmentally sustainable alternatives.

1. No Globalization without Representation
              Multilateral institutions such as the World Trade Organization, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund create global policy with input mainly from multinational corporations and very little input from grassroots citizens groups. We need to ensure that all global citizens must be democratically represented in the formulation, implementation, and evaluation of all global social and economic policies of the WTO, the IMF, and the WB. The WTO must immediately halt all meetings and negotiations in order for a full, fair, and public assessment to be conducted of the impacts of the WTO’s policies to date. The WTO must be replaced by a body that is fully democratic, transparent, and accountable to citizens of the entire world instead of to corporations. We must build support for trade policies that protect workers, human rights, and the environment.

• Focus on the Global South
  
• Public Citizen’s Global Trade Watch/Citizens Trade Campaign
  
• Third World Network
  
• International Forum on Globalization
  

2. Mandate Corporate Responsibility
              Corporations have so heavily influenced global trade negotiations that they now have rights and representation greater than individual citizens and even governments. Under the guise of ‘free trade’ they advocate weakening of labor and environmental laws — a global economy of sweatshops and environmental devastation. Corporations must be subject to the people’s will; they should have to prove their worth to society or be dismantled. Corporations must be accountable to public needs, be open to public scrutiny, provide living wage jobs, abide by all environmental and labor regulations, and be subject to all laws governing them. Shareholder activism is an excellent tool for challenging corporate behavior.

• Program on Corporations, Law, and Democracy
  
• Campaign for Labor Rights
  
• Transnational Research and Action Center
  
• Interfaith Center for Corporate Responsibility
  
• United Students Against Sweatshops
  
• Student Alliance to Reform Corporations
  

3. Restructure the Global Financial Architecture
              Currency speculation and the derivatives market move over $1.5 trillion daily (compared to world trade of $6 trillion annually), earning short-term profits for wealthy investors at the expense of long-term development. Many countries are beginning to implement ‘capital controls’ in order to regulate the influence foreign capital, and grassroots groups are advocating the restructuring and regulation of the global financial architecture. Citizens can pass local city resolutions for the Tobin Tax - a tax of .1% to .25% on currency transactions which would provide a disincentive for speculation but not affect real capital investment, and create a huge fund for building schools & clinics throughout the world.

• Tobin Tax Initiative
  
• Friends of the Earth
  
• Institute for Policy Studies
  

4. Cancel all Debt, End Structural Adjustment and Defend Economic Sovereignty
              Debt is crushing most poor countries’ ability to develop as they spend huge amounts of their resources servicing odious debt rather than serving the needs of their populations. Structural adjustment is the tool promoted by the IMF and World Bank to keep countries on schedule with debt payments, with programs promoting export-led development at the expense of social needs. There is an international movement demanding that all debt be cancelled in the year 2000 in order for countries to prioritize health care, education, and real development. Countries must have the autonomy to pursue their own economic plans, including prioritizing social needs over the needs of multinational corporations.

• Jubilee 2000
  
• 50 Years Is Enough
  
• End the Blockade Against Cuba
  

5. Prioritize Human Rights - Including Economic Rights - in Trade Agreements
              The United Nations must be the strongest multilateral body - not the WTO. The US must ratify all international conventions on social and political rights. Trade rules must comply with higher laws on human rights as well as economic and labor rights included in the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights. We should promote alternative trade agreements that include fair trade, debt cancellation, micro-credit, and local control over development policies.

• International Labor Rights Fund
  
• GX Corporate Accountability Campaign
  
• HOPE for Africa Act
  
• Alternatives for the Americas
  

6. Promote Sustainable Development - Not Consumption - as the Key to Progress
              Global trade and investment should not be ends in themselves, but rather the instruments for achieving equitable and sustainable development, including protection for workers and the environment. Global trade agreements should not undermine the ability of each nation, state or local community to meet its citizens’ social, environmental, cultural or economic needs. International development should not be export-driven, but rather should prioritize food security, sustainability, and democratic participation.

• Redefining Progress
  
• Food First
  
• Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy
  

7. Integrate Womens’ Needs in All Economic Restructuring
              Women make up half the world but hold less than 5% of positions of power in determining global economic policy, and own an estimated 1% of global property. Family survival around the world depends on the economic independence of women. Economic policies need to take into account women’s important role in nutrition, education, and development. This includes access to family planning as well as education, credit, job training, policy decision-making, and other needs.

• Women’s EDGE: Economic Development and Global Equality
  
• International Center for Research on Women
  
• Women’s Environment and Development Organization
  

8. Build Free and Strong Labor Unions Internationally and Domestically
              As trade becomes more ‘free,’ labor unions are still restricted from organizing in most countries. The International Labor Organization should have the same enforcement power as the WTO. The US should ratify ILO conventions and set an example in terms of enforcing workers’ rights to organize and bargain collectively. As corporations increase their multinational strength, unions are working to build bridges across borders and organize globally. Activists can support their efforts and ensure that free labor is an essential component of any ‘free trade’ agreements.

• American Federation of Labor/Congress of Industrial Organizations
  
• International Confederation of Free Trade Unions
  
• International Labor Organization
  
• Open World Conference
  

9. Develop Community Control Over Capital; Promote Socially Responsible Investment
              Local communities should not be beholden to the IMF, international capital, multinational corporations, or any other non-local body for policy. Communities should be able to develop investment and development programs that suit local needs including passing anti-sweatshop purchasing restrictions, promoting local credit unions and local barter currency, and implementing investment policies for their city, church, and union that reflect social responsibility criteria.

• ACORN
  
• Sustainable USA
  
• United for a Fair Economy
  
• Alliance for Democracy
  

10. Promote Fair Trade Not Free Trade
              While we work to reform ‘free trade’ institutions and keep corporate chain stores out of our neighborhoods, we should also promote our own vision of Fair Trade. We need to build networks of support and education for grassroots trade and trade in environmentally sustainable goods. We can promote labeling of goods such as Fair Trade Certified, organic, and sustainably harvested. We can purchase locally made goods and locally grown foods that support local economies and cooperative forms of production and trade.

• Fair Trade Federation
  
• Rural Coalition
  
• TransFair USA
  
• Coop America
  

 

 By John Hall

Our 15-foot, outrigger boat—overloaded with 14 people—heaved in heavy seas off the coast of Batangas, Luzon, Philippines, and water poured over the gunwales. I had been kneeling for an hour, bailing water with the sole piece of “emergency equipment” on board: a plastic bottle. As the waves washed over us, my externship supervisor, noted human rights attorney Romeo Capulong, turned to me with a smile. “Are you enjoying your last semester of law school?” he asked. That day, March 9, was sad and memorable, and our eventful journey by sea was merely the prelude to what would become for me an inspiring educational mission. We were on our way to a funeral. The destination was Hacienda Looc, a coastal region about 90 kilometers south of Manila, the site of an ongoing battle between poor farm families fighting to keep their land and development forces determined to take it. Two farmers, Terry Sevilla and Roger Alla, had been ambushed and murdered the previous week, bringing to seven the number of peasants killed since 1997 who had opposed the construction of a golf resort on their land. (more…)