Today’s movement to abolish fossil fuels can learn from two different paths that the British and American governments took to abolish slavery in the 19th century, one peaceful and the other violent. Image: slaveryimages.org. This article is the second in a series that compares today's fight for climate solutions with the successful movement to abolish slavery in the … [Read more...]
The Fight against Climate Change Must Become the New Abolitionism
There's no moral comparison between humans who suffered in slavery and molecules of fossil fuels. But the abolition movement of the nineteenth century may hold the key to unblocking climate action today. Image: slaveryimages.org. The planet continues to fry. Yet, America is pumping more fossil fuel than it has in decades. And the U.S. government does nothing to slow the … [Read more...]
The curse of slavery, the curse of oil
Against all odds, a film based on a 150-year-old, almost forgotten book has generated international acclaim and is positioned to sweep multiple Oscars categories. The recently-released film 12 Years A Slave is based on the autobiography of the same name by Solomon Northrup, a free black man who lived in New York state with his wife and two children before the Civil War. … [Read more...]
Emancipating slaves then and now
This year marks the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation. It's a needed chance for Americans to talk about slavery that has helped us reexamine our history. For example, recent documentaries and museum exhibits on America's Founding Fathers regularly show that slavery played a big role in the lives of several heroes of the American Revolution. So, now we know … [Read more...]
The Cotton Gin Paradox
It's not hard to see that, when cars get better gas mileage, people feel that they can afford to drive more. Or that consumers think they can afford a bigger refrigerator if it's Energy Star certified to use less electricity. Blame it on Jevons's Paradox that increasing the energy efficiency of machines doesn't necessarily decrease the total amount of energy people use, but … [Read more...]