Stop Excluding Military Pollution From Climate Agreements

Join me in signing this petition to follow science rather than "patritiotic" nonsense claiming that the Pentagon's emissions "don't count." World Beyond War and Roots Action are the petition sponsors, and the Maine Natural Guard has signed on as a co-sponsoring organization.

Here's a link to research and reporting that documents the military's harms to climate: Maine Natural Guard Resources.

Planet Burning, Lawsuits Churning, Pentagon Still Turning Toward Climate Destruction

It's another record breaking hot season for the Northern Hemisphere. Despite the fact that the summer solstice just occurred we're seeing Arctic ground temperatures in the 110+ degrees Farenheit range (38+ Celcius), a 1,200 year drought shaping up in the western United States, and spring wildfires in Siberia, Arizona, and New Mexico. Some of these are believed to be "zombie fires" that wintered over under the snow cover in the Arctic, unextinguished.

The lawsuit by young people suing the federal government for inaction on climate, thus depriving them of their constitutional right to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness," is on appeal with a hearing set for today at 1pm EDT to review oral arguments in Juliana v. United States.

Meanwhile, the state of Massachusetts has seen progress in its lawsuit against petroleum giant Exxon Mobil for knowing the risks of climate crisis yet concealing them from consumers and the general public.

"Greenwashing" similar to that currently engaged in by Hydro-Quebec on behalf of what some in Maine are calling the "Massachusetts extension cord" project currently destroying acres of carbon-sequestering trees to build a giant transmission line. Governor Janet Mills just vetoed a bill to ban foreign entities like HQ and the owner of the line, Iberdrola, from spending on lobbying and advertising campaigns to influence the outcome of citizen referendums; one on the ballot in November threatens the project.

I'm sure investment bankers at Goldman Sachs have made it crystal clear to Mills which side her bread is buttered on.

Source: Brown University, Watson Institute, Costs of War Project

Meanwhile, the biggest polluter on the planet continues largely unchallenged.

In September, Maine will be visited by the super polluting and entirely unnecessary Blue Angels airshow. All these carbon emissions kill only indirectly i.e. these planes don't drop bombs on anyone, and they drop napalm onto the runway in Brunswick only to "entertain." 

Of course all airshows, like the military displays at sporting events that your tax dollars subsidize, are recruiting tools. Along with crushing student debt for postsecondary education, they steer the young people not born to affluence into donning uniform in order to qualify for "free" college.

Why don't the big environmental groups challenge the Pentagon on its non-stop hastening of climate crisis?

Some say its because most of them take money from the corporate owned and operated Democratic Party. Some say its because they dare not appear "unpatriotic" even if that's what it will take to keep Earth liveable for our grandchildren. Some want to stay in their silo of challenging climate crisis without venturing into the much more fraught arena of challenging our militarized, fascistic government that exists mainly to protect the profits of already wealthy corporations.

If embedded video of Veterans for Peace plenary session on the U.S. Military & Climate does not play for you, access it here: https://youtu.be/M_unc1AFbkw

Some say that an annual budget of $778 billion buys a lot of silence from potential opponents.

I notice that in the new guidelines the Biden administration is developing anyone who opposes the life-threatening system of capitalism will now be designated a terrorist.

Sign me up!

Stop Dropping Bombs On People's Heads

It is the end of innocence for my 3 year old students. Their parents told them about Israel's attacks on the Palestinian people prior to attending an action in the port of Oakland yesterday which has successfully blocked an Israeli ship owned by ZIM from unloading.

If you think it's difficult explaining to your uncle during holiday get togethers about the realities of Israel's land grab and constant ethnic cleansing campaign, only imagine a preschool audience. This is the age when children ask "Why?" in response to any facts on the ground. ("It's bedtime." "Why?" "Because we need our rest." "Why?" etc.)

We made new friends in a crowd with several other children of various ages.
This fellow teacher shared his sunscreen with us.

As we gathered at Middle Harbor Shoreline Park with about 300 others yesterday afternoon, the questions were still coming thick and fast. They're only starting to read so most of the signs were unintelligible, but the chant of "Free, free Palestine" matched up with the sign they had helped make earlier in the day. 

Some of the many questions we answered:"Why is there a helicopter in the sky?" "It's a news team covering the protest." "What does cover mean?" and also "Why is the truck driver honking his horn and why are people clapping?"

With the big picture orientation she's prone to, my granddaughter mostly didn't query us about the difference between Gaza and the West Bank or why Israel would want to steal their land and water. Her oft repeated question was this:

Why do they drop bombs on people's heads?

After asking this approximately one hundred times and receiving answers ranging from "to steal the land" to "because they are scared and angry, and making bad choices" she transitioned into her own personal chant:

Stop dropping bombs on people's heads.

This was tapped out with drumsticks, played on the recorder, recited to her baby brother, and murmured as she drifted off to sleep.

As her father and her friend and she and I walked back toward our car from the picket at one of the main gates, I carried the sign we'd made together. A sign that both 3 year olds had taken a turn proudly carrying that day.

"Grandma, don't throw away our sign, we might need to use it again."

She's probably right about that, too.