"Life, Territory, Time and Dialogue": Topsy and Tuptim Discuss Chapter I of the Amazon Working Doc

The Amazon River Basin

Tuptim welcomes Topsy who settles in at the kitchen table with her notebook and highlighted copy of the working document. Tuptim sets a steaming cup of coffee in front of her friend with a little pitcher of cream.

Tuptim: I never understand why you want to ruin a good cup of coffee by putting in cream!

Topsy: (smiling) Hey, I like it that way. Different strokes for different folks. (Takes a sip.) Mmm, this is good.

Tuptim: It's fair trade coffee from the Amazon basin of South America. I thought that would put us in the mood for talking about the synod document. (She sits at the table and flips over a page on her stapled copy of the document.) I got this off the Vatican website. I love having access to all encyclicals, exhortations, etc. (pauses) So... what did you think about chapter 1?

Hey Boulder, How Do You Like that "Naturally Occurring" Rain?

Boulder, CO has been inundated with nature lately in the form of rain, rain, and more rain leading to some pretty extreme outcomes. Nature up close and personal can be a threat to the community. But, hey, Boulder thinks ecosystems have the same rights as people. So if "trees are people too," how about raindrops? They're part of nature just exercising their right to choose where and when to fall. We hope none of Boulder's tree huggers are complaining!

From Denver Westward News:

Natural wonder: Boulder County has a reputation for leading the state in matters of open space, animal rights, environmental protections and all-around tree-hugging. But next week may present the acid test for local officials' greeniness. On Wednesday, September 18, the county planning commission will listen to a presentation from staff and ponder whether to include a statement in the comprehensive plan declaring that "Boulder County acknowledges the rights of all naturally occurring ecosystems and their native species populations to exist and flourish."
Whether or not it's approved, the proposed language signals that the Rights of Nature movement has landed in Colorado, complete with website and Facebook page. It's essentially a push by a wide array of environmental activists and thinkers to grant a kind of legal standing to native species; if corporations that promote fracking and other forms of environmental degradation can be granted personhood in the political arena, why can't entire ecosystems have rights, too? 

Since 2008, laws that specifically acknowledge such rights have been passed in countries such as Bolivia and Ecuador and more than three dozen U.S. towns and cities. The locals pushing for a similar measure in Boulder include the president of the county's Audubon Society; an attorney whose bio lists "life-long experience in the study of consciousness, nature and the law"; an "ecopsychologist and poet"; and Priscilla Stuckey, author of Kissed by a Fox: And Other Studies of Friendship in Nature. 

Slipping a line about how "trees are people, too" into the county planning documents isn't exactly awarding a constitutional right. Advocates of the Rights of Nature say it's a significant step, though, toward acknowledging that current protections for native species haven't saved a number of struggling populations in Boulder County — from the lark bunting to the burrowing owl to the bristlecone pine forest — from being imperiled. But critics fear that embracing the concept of legal rights for flora and fauna sets a dangerous precedent that can lead to further restrictions on property and energy development, as well as genetically modified crops.
A recent communique from the Rights of Nature supporters suggests that the county planning commission legal staff is prepared to recommend against incorporating the language in the comprehensive plan. That has the advocates rallying the troops to submit comments to the commission urging deeper consideration of the issue. 

Will Boulder eventually join places like Santa Monica, California, in declaring that citizens have a right to "a sustainable climate that supports thriving human life and a flourishing bio-diverse environment"? Will it follow the lead of Tamaqua, Pennsylvania, in viewing ecosystems as "persons" for purposes of environmental enforcement? Or will it treat Boulder's abundant natives as second-class citizens? 

Either way, you can be sure of one thing. It's business, not personal.

Cuccinelli Deals Blow to Overreaching EPA

Two thumbs up for Virginia's Ken Cuccinelli who put the breaks on the tyrants at the EPA who use "environmentalism" as a club. Not this time! His win in federal court means a $300 million savings for Fairfax County. Go, Ken!

Water is not a "pollutant" under the Clean Water Act and is not subject to federal regulation.

You can support Ken for Governor of Virginia by contributing to his campaign. Virginia campaign laws prevent him accepting contributions during the legislative session which starts this week. Last days to give are today and tomorrow. Want to see a strong conservative governor, a pro-life leader in this important state? Donate to Ken's campaign TODAY. Help bring a culture of life and fiscal responsibility back to Virginia. Let's turn Virginia bright red for red-blooded Americans on fire with love for life and patriotic fervor!

Green Snake Oil

Real Catholic TV's Michael Voris recently did a series on the environmental hoax. Here's the last video in the four-part series. You can watch the three earlier videoes by going here. The first one is on the connections between former communists and the green movement. It's a subject I want to look into making direct links. But if you haven't noticed the connection between saving the planet and more government power and control, you need to think about it. Because that's what it's all about. And a lot of useful idiots are joining in the scam as enablers of what is nothing but the latest snake oil cure from Dr. Death.

Winter Weather and Global Warming

Turnabout's Fair Play - Take That, Greenpeace Liars!

CFACT drops the banner on Greenpeace ships in daring land and sea raids

Hat tip to James Evans at Orate Fratres.

Sarah Palin on Climategate

The president's decision to attend the international climate conference in Copenhagen needs to be reconsidered in light of the unfolding Climategate scandal. The leaked e-mails involved in Climategate expose the unscientific behavior of leading climate scientists who deliberately destroyed records to block information requests, manipulated data to "hide the decline" in global temperatures, and conspired to silence the critics of man-made global warming. I support Senator James Inhofe's call for a full investigation into this scandal. Because it involves many of the same personalities and entities behind the Copenhagen conference, Climategate calls into question many of the proposals being pushed there, including anything that would lead to a cap and tax plan.

Policy should be based on sound science, not snake oil. I took a stand against such snake oil science when I sued the federal government over its decision to list the polar bear as an endangered species despite the fact that the polar bear population has increased. I've never denied the reality of climate change; in fact, I was the first governor to create a subcabinet position to deal specifically with the issue. I saw the impact of changing weather patterns firsthand while serving as governor of our only Arctic state. But while we recognize the effects of changing water levels, erosion patterns, and glacial ice melt, we cannot primarily blame man's activities for the earth's cyclical weather changes. The drastic economic measures being pushed by dogmatic environmentalists won't change the weather, but will dramatically change our economy for the worse.

Policy decisions require real science and real solutions, not junk science and doomsday scare tactics pushed by an environmental priesthood that capitalizes on the public's worry and makes them feel that owning an SUV is a "sin" against the planet. In his inaugural address, President Obama declared his intention to "restore science to its rightful place." Boycotting Copenhagen while this scandal is thoroughly investigated would send a strong message that the United States government will not be a party to fraudulent scientific practices. Saying no to Copenhagen and cap and tax are first steps in "restoring science to its rightful place."

- Sarah Palin