Walking North
Does walking north get us anywhere if we’re on a train that’s speeding south? — This blog takes its name from an article by Peter Montague, in Rachel’s Environmental & Health News. He used the idea of ’walking north on a southbound train’ to characterize environmentalists’ willingness to boast of minor steps in the right direction even as the overall situation was deteriorating. To get where we really want to go, we may have to get off the train—but even when that isn’t possible, I think small steps in the right direction can help people see what is happening or inspire more positive action!
Some other Lehigh Valley blogs you might want to check out:
- Crossroads, the blog of RenewLV
- Neighbors of Easton, with Noël Jones & others
- Small Steps to Sustainability, by Summre Inama
National:
Good News (UPDATED)
Here are a few news articles that report positive developments, starting with an article by Frances Moore Lappé on why it’s important to share stories like this…. Why Sharing News About Solutions Is a Revolutionary Act | YES! Magazine Food … more
Brecht, the Iroquois Confederacy, and You
It seems pretty obvious that we’re on a track that leads to an extremely harsh future. Can we stop, take stock of where things are headed, and make some serious changes — before it’s too late? Can each of us … more
Peter: “Evo Morales – Entering the Pacha, a new beginning”
The looming end of the Mayan long-count calendar has prompted fervid doomsday predictions on the internet, mass arrests in China, and a small tourism boom in southern Mexico. But Bolivia’s president, Evo Morales, says the date is the beginning of … more
Peter: ‘Are Some Children Worth More than Others?’
Do the killings at Sandy Hook school indicate a systemic problem, or are they the work of an individual with mental health problems? I think both are equally true, which means the U.S. needs much better mental health services and … more
Peter: “COP-Out 18 [UPDATED]“
[See updates below] Our so-called leaders from around the world seem to be incapable of taking the decisive action that is essential. (Maybe we should call it COP-OUT 18‽) Even the World Bank recently issued a report saying the consequences of world inaction … more
Greedheads & Natural Resources
What do coal, gold, & natural gas have in common? Or water, petroleum, & uranium? They are all natural resources that mining and other resource-extraction companies take from the ground and sell to others. It seems to be a common pattern for these … more
Charter Schools: Myth & Reality
Twenty years ago, the charter school was born as an innovative strategy to reinvigorate and enrich public education. Dr. Gary Miron of Western Michigan University is quoted as saying, ‘Groups of teachers and administrators who wanted to innovate and try new … more
The Myth of Meritocracy
The concept of ‘meritocracy’—a system in which government leaders and officials are selected based on merit or competency for the job—seems sensible enough at first glance. After all, haven’t we had enough of candidates who are elected because they had … more
Tar Sands Hell
The tar sands issue isn’t only about the danger from pipelines crossing the U.S. so the dirty tar sands oil can be refined and shipped overseas, it’s about the destruction of thousands of square miles of wildlands in Alberta, severe health impacts … more
Fire or Ice? (Does it matter?)
Robert Frost’s ‘Fire and Ice’* doesn’t really have anything to do with global warming or endocrine disruption, but there is a parallel in the presence of two major threats that humanity faces today: global warming and the ubiquitous presence of … more