Did you ever wonder who they were? The “they.” The “they” that tell us that low levels of radiation and E.coli are safe. Or that extraction industries boost the economy. Or that fracking and tar sands are the only way to solve the energy crisis. They tell us that we don’t need labeling on our food. They tell us that the upswing in adult diabetes is normal. Sometimes they are … [Read more...]
Maddow gives air time to Koch brothers fracking advocate
Editors note: This piece ran last year on Eric Francis's Planet Waves website and it remains an important touchstone concerning how the main stream media continues to act as the lapdog to Big Oil and Big Energy in general. After reading this piece, ask yourself, how much has changed in the major media relative to critical reporting on the facts concerning fossil fuels … [Read more...]
Sadly, extinction is no laughing matter
Quoting Carl Sagan, I begin some presentations with this line: It is far better to grasp the universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring. Many people disagree with Sagan, choosing delusion over reality, believing we can have infinite growth on a finite planet with no consequences for people or other creatures, other life forms, … [Read more...]
Eros and economy
Everybody loves a good story. Especially this time of year. In Plato’s Symposium, Diotima recounts the story of Eros. She tells us that on the day of Aphrodite’s birth, the gods had a banquet. Penia—that is, “Poverty”— came begging at the end of the meal. There she espied Poros — that is, “Wealth” — drunk on nectar and asleep in Zeus’ garden. As a way out of her … [Read more...]
Gratitude to trees
Written as a guide to prepare students from two classes—“Place and Identity” and “Conservation Biology”--for a walk into the woods beyond Dominican University of California. Morning: Listening Trees transform, shield, shade and provide oxygen, fruit, and beauty. They offer many other gifts. Without trees, humans wouldn't survive. Through the magical process of photosynthesis, … [Read more...]