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great minds think alike: blogs of note

unplug

unplug magazine asks you to unplug from your current modes of thought and look at life in a new way, whether this means unplugging from our toxic consumer culture, mainstream society, the tv, or a limiting mindset. author megan prusynski explores life's alternatives and discusses activism, progressive thinking, and moving towards a "green" & sustainable life.

Thursday, May 08, 2008

Legalize It!

It's been a busy spring for me (hence my absence) and that means that while I wanted to write a nice "green" post for Earth Day, I was just too busy. So, I hope everyone did something nice for the planet Earth Day weekend. I was at Moscow Hempfest - amidst late April snow flurries - educating people about the misunderstood hemp plant and handing out PETA stickers all while selling my homemade hemp soap and jewelry. And although there are a million things I want to write about, I'm going to focus on one issue that's been important to me for some time: HEMP!

Hempfest 2008 Logo with Hemp Facts Cannabis sativa (aka hemp) is a plant that humankind has a long history with over 10,000 years. It is only recently that this plant has been demonized and its use criminalized by US drug policy. Cannabis was widely prescribed for many ailments and hemp grown domestically and used for many products, namely rope and canvas, in the US prior to 1937. In 1937, caving into pressure from lobbying groups that felt that hemp threatened their products (ahem, DuPont) and a media fueled by racism, the Marijuana Tax Stamp Act was enacted, effectively making cannabis and hemp illegal. What was once a lucrative, sustainable cash crop became an illicit substance, and a drastic eradication program began.

The penalties have grown harsher (gee, thanks Nixon, Reagan and Bush) and prison sentences today for cannabis-related "crimes" are now often longer than those for rape and murder. Prisons are overpopulated due to the drug war's insistence on arresting non-violent drug offenders and throwing them in jail instead of helping them overcome addiction. Marijuana is listed as a Schedule I drug, alongside heroin and other drugs that have "no medical value." This is despite the fact that science has shown otherwise. Many states have passed legislation allowing doctors to recommend cannabis to their patients. It has been proven helpful for many ailments such as cancer, glaucoma, severe pain, menstrual cramps, nausea, and many more. In fact, in 1988, DEA Judge Francis Young stated that "...marijuana is one of the safest therapeutically active substances known to man." He recommended it be removed from the list of Schedule I drugs and rescheduled, which it was not. In the "land of the free," we're not even free to decide what we can put into our own bodies.

Hemp gets lumped in with marijuana (they're both cannabis sativa, but different strains), which is unfortunate, because hemp can't get you high, but it can certainly be used for a million other things. Hemp seeds are highly nutritious, providing all the essential fatty acids humans need. Pretty much all parts of the plant are useful for something, whether it's paper that's stronger and can be recycled more often than tree paper, strong and soft fabric, various plastics, building materials, paints/varnishes, rope, or bio-fuel. Since it has so many uses, is naturally pest and disease resistant, and easy to grow, it could help solve a lot of environmental problems and provide more sustainable alternatives for many products. This sustainable crop could honestly help save the world, and that is why the powers that be fear it so much and want it to remain illegal. The pharmaceutical, paper, lumber, cotton, agriculture, and petroleum industries all feel threatened by this versatile plant, even though industrial hemp could be a boon to our economy and especially to small farmers. Like most things in politics, it all comes down to money.

So, what can we do to end the war on cannabis and re-legalize this useful plant? First of all, as a society we need a massive hemp re-education. Through the years the lies about cannabis have been drilled into our brains, spreading reefer madness and creating hostility towards a plant that has never killed anyone in thousands of years of use. It starts with educating yourself and sharing your knowledge with family and friends. Hemp advocacy can be as fun as attending a Hempfest or as important as starting a local petition to make marijuana use arrests the lowest police priority in your city. Do some research and you're bound to find many resources, organizations, and activists to get you going.

There is currently a federal bill before Congress to re-legalize the cultivation of industrial hemp. This bill, the "Industrial Hemp Farming Act", H.R. 1009, has been introduced by Ron Paul (R-TX) and co-sponsored by a handful of other representatives. Ron Paul has also recently introduced the “Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act”, H.R. 5842, which would bar the Federal Government from intervening in doctor/patient relationships that violate no state law. For more information on hemp advocacy and legislation, see VoteHemp.com.

And in my local news, Mendocino county, California, is soon to vote on Measure B, which plans to repeal Measure G, protecting medical marijuana users and allowing law enforcement to focus on real criminals. Measure B is intended to reduce the amount of large-scale commercial cannabis production in a county with some of the most lenient cannabis laws in the nation. However, it will remove protections that Measure G provides medical patients (which was voted into law by a large majority of the public) and be a huge step backwards in hemp legalization. I find it silly that those supporting Measure B think that changing the law is going to affect commercial growers who obviously don't care about the law in the first place - they're already breaking it, so why would changing the law even affect them? So, if you're a Mendo local, please VOTE NO ON MEASURE B on June 3, 2008, and keep Mendocino County a leader in the fight for legalization!

In the words of Peter Tosh, quite simply, LEGALIZE IT!

Labels: activism, environment/sustainability, hemp

Sunday, May 06, 2007

Inspiration from The Dalai Lama

His Holiness the Dalai Lama is a very important source of inspiration to me. I have read a couple of his books and I have a calendar of some of his teachings sitting on my desk. I definitely like the way he thinks and he never fails to give me food for thought. Some of my favorite quotes:

"The essential feature of true compassion is that it is universal and not discriminatory."

"In every part of the world, there are people who really speak about human rights, adn speak about the right of self-determination, and rights of animals. All of these are, I think, signs of positive change."

"Universal humanitarianism is essential to solve global problems."

"It does not matter whether you are a theist or an atheist, what matters is sincerity, forgiveness, and compassion."

"People who call themselves religious without basic human values like compassion; they are not really religious people."

The Dalai Lama is a very intelligent, compassionate, and happy person with a lot to share with the world. If you're ever seen the movie Kundun, which depicts his early life and his daring escape from Tibet when China occupied it, then you know about some of what this remarkable man has had to go through. Tibet has been taken over by China as the traditions, religious identities, and natural landscape of the Tibetan people are slowly being crushed. The Dalai Lama, as leader of the Tibetan people (even though he currently lives in exile), has never raised a fist towards China throughout their hostile takeover of his home. He is an example of leading with nonviolence, understanding, compromise, and peace.

His Holiness was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize in 1989 for his demonstration of peaceful leadership and his devotion to compassion and teaching. He was also recently awarded a Congressional Gold Medal from the US House of Representatives. I certainly think world leaders have a lot to learn from this humble Buddhist monk. and everyone can certainly learn from his ideas and his life.

Two organizations I currently support are The International Campaign for Tibet and Free Tibet Campaign. These and many other advocacy groups are trying to stand up with the Dalai Lama for the people of Tibet, and ask China to end the atrocious human rights violations and brutal occupation of this peaceful country. One campaign of particular note is Race for Tibet, an effort of the ICT to force China to own up to the tragic occupation of Tibet befor the upcoming 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

You can sign a petition to the International Olympic Committee on the Race for Tibet site, which reads in part:

In light of the IOC's Olympic Truce commitment "to create a window of opportunities for dialogue, reconciliation and the resolution of conflicts...and to encourage political leaders to act in favour of peace" (www.olympic.org), it is clear that the IOC ideals and values are very applicable for Tibet as we approach the 2008 Games. The IOC has long contended that awarding Beijing the 2008 Games will improve human rights in China, but as time passes, these assurances have not turned into concrete results.

The IOC should not let the Olympics be used by China to blatantly or insidiously try to legitimize their rule in Tibet or to promote a distorted view of the conditions there. Yet with China's selection of the Tibetan antelope (or chiru) as an Olympic mascot, we are already seeing the first results of a Chinese strategy to misuse Tibet in relation to the 2008 Olympics.

I hope someday to see the Dalai Lama speak and to visit his beautiful home country of Tibet, but I hope that I can visit a FREE Tibet, after the Dalai Lama reclaims his leadership in a sovereign country and the bloodshed and hardship China has inflicted can begin to heal. Until then, I'll keep speaking up for Tibet and learning from what the Dalai Lama has to say.

Labels: activism, peace, politics

Monday, March 19, 2007

4 Years and Counting...

The four year anniversary of US Involvement in Iraq has recently come and gone. It's hard to believe this conflict has been going on for over four years now, and sadly, the bodies keep stacking up. As of the time of posting, 3,218 US Soldiers have been killed in Iraq, as well as tens of thousands of Iraqi civilians. My heart goes out to the families shattered by this conflict, and I hope for an end very soon. I really don't want to see a fifth anniversary!

Pictured is my design for the Palouse Peace Coalition's peace rally commemorating 4 years in Iraq. I designed the graphic for last year's third anniversary rally, and updated it for yet another year. Since not much has changed in Iraq other than more bloodshed, the poster still rings true: "Too Many Lives, Too Many Tears, Too Many Lies, Too Many Years."

I participated in the PPC's peace rally this year and despite it being such a sad anniversary, the march was a lot of fun and very light-hearted. We marched from downtown Moscow down the highway to the mall and back, accompanied by live music from the "Peace Band" and lots of props. One man wore a Bush mask and pulled a barrel of "oil" with a sign reading "Mission Accomplished" in a wagon. He was certainly my favorite marcher that day! Others carried a wooden coffin honoring all those who have died in the conflict (my boyfriend even took a turn carrying it). There were lots of peace signs, American flags, and people in black funeral clothes. Several people led the march with a large dove, and we got a lot of responses (thankfully mostly positive, but there were a few mean-spirited war mongers too) from people driving by on the highway. I came up with a catchy new slogan to yell at people driving huge trucks and SUVs: "Burn Bio-fuels, Not Bodies!"

It was a beautiful day for a peace march! You can see the rest of my pictures in this photo set on flickr. Let's hope there is no need for an Iraq protest march next year...

Labels: activism, news/current events, peace, politics

Monday, March 12, 2007

Stop Canada's Seal Hunt

Baby Seal The Canadian government condones the killing of hundreds of thousands of harp seals each year. These beautiful creatures are bludgeoned to death and often skinned alive so their fur can be sold. Many of the seals killed are helpless babies. This year, Canada has given the go-ahead for hunters to kill 335,000 baby harp seals and Canada's ice floes will be covered in the blood of innocent animals for something as unnecessary as fur coats.

Please sign PETA's petition to Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper before this year's hunt begins. You can also help boycotting Canadian products and of course, refusing to wear real fur of any kind. For more information and ways to help, see StopTheSealHunt.com.

This cruel tradition needs to end. Thank you for your compassion.

Labels: activism, animal rights, news/current events

Monday, January 08, 2007

Living Your Ideals

Well, it's 2007. And as usual, I have a whole list of New Year's Resolutions. Who knows how many I'll actually keep, but my resolutions (and my goals, in general) over the past few years have a bit of a pattern: I want to live my ideals. I want to walk the walk, not just talk the talk. It's a constant struggle, especially because I have pretty high aspirations and I tend to dream big. In 2005, my boyfriend and I started eating organic food whenever possible, and have been shopping at the Farmer's Market and the Co-op ever since. This was also about the time he went vegetarian (after I had been veg for over 6 months), another milestone in lining up our lives with our beliefs & ethics. In 2006, our goal was to get a car we could convert to run on waste vegetable oil, a carbon-neutral way to power your car (from a renewable source). We got our diesel volkswagen vanagon and ordered a Greasecar kit, and now collect waste oil, filter it, and run our van on it. It's a work in progress of course (as any VW is).

In the spirit of bringing change in the new year, I've come up with a list of possible New Year's Resolutions that can bring your lifestyle in line with progressive ethics and sustainability. There's lots of things you can do to lessen your negative impact on the earth, and lead to a more positive impact on everything around you.

Get Informed by dedicating more time to reading up on local and world news (preferably from independent media sources) and researching issues you are concerned about. Then, put your knowledge to use by doing something about it!

Simplify your life and reduce the amount of waste you produce. There's many ways to do this, including going through your home & donating unused items to charity, repairing and maintaining the things you already have instead of replacing them, re-using containers, and simply buying less stuff. Another great way to add time to your day is to stop watching TV (I don't miss it, you won't either).

Support Causes you believe in whether it be volunteering for a local animal shelter or donating money to a charity organization. Use your skills to help organizations you support, or even get a job with one!

Change Your Lifestyle one bit at a time until you're living your ideals. Start changing your life and changing the world every day. This could mean dropping things like meat, high fructose corn syrup, or overly-processed foods from your diet. Or it could mean carpooling, walking, or riding your bike to school or work instead of driving a car. You chould start reading labels and buying sweatshop and cruelty free items. Simple changes can have huge effects!

Switch Your Lights to energy-saving bulbs (a la An Inconvenient Truth. Also switch your appliances when they wear out with energy-efficent models (look for the Energy Star logo, or come up with your own standards).

Speak Out and get more involved in issues you care about. Whether it's passing out leaflets, participating in a peace demonstration, or volunteering for a local non-profit, you can help change minds & support your community.

Be Picky when you must buy something. Look for products that use recycled or renewable materials, that are manufactured in green factories (or at least not in sweatshops), or that are Fair Trade Certified or Certified Organic. And whenever possible, but locally grown/made products from the people that produce them: you'll be helping your local economy and supporting small businesses & farms.

There are probably a million more small things you could do to turn your life into a manifestation of your ideals. These are just a few I've done or am working on. Please leave a comment if you have other suggestions to add to this list! :)

Happy New Year!

Labels: activism, environment/sustainability, lifestyle

Wednesday, August 23, 2006

What's worse than a Hummer? McDonalds selling toy Hummers to kids.

Ya know, I'm not a fan of huge corporations. I'm not saying they are all bad, but really the entire idea of a company that large is set up for failure and corruption. Corporations have the rights of people but about a million times the resources at their disposal. That's scary stuff. Things get particularly complicated when corporations combine forces, whether for a simple marketing gimmick or a huge lobbying campaign.

Two particularly nasty corporations are McDonald's (makers of cheap, overly-processed, factory-farmed garbage that is helping fuel our lovely obesity epidemic) and General Motors (makers of really heavy, gas guzzling SUVs including the behemoth HUMMER). Guess what McDonald's is enticing kids with in their Happy Meals? Toy HUMMERs.

Well, regardless of your thoughts on this, why not have a little fun while telling McDonald's & GM just what you think of them on RonaldMcHummer.com. You can learn about why HUMMERS are less than savory for the environment and kids themselves and create your own McDonald's sign and send it to Mc-D's. I went for the long-winded but passionate approach for the first picture. It's not likely that I will ever set foot in McDonald's again (if I'm lucky) so they're not really losing any business from me... but promoting gas-guzzling cars as "cool" and "fun" to impressionable youngsters while filling them full of chemical-laden, cruelly-produced processed crap is just about as low as it gets. So I had to say something. Come on! Do it for the kids!

My second attempt at a sign is a philosophy I've developed over the years by observing men that drive huge SUVs simply because they are cool or make them look macho (i.e. people that definitely don't need that gas-guzzler): they seem to be compensating for something. As I always say, the bigger the truck, the smaller the dick. Hehehe.

Be sure to check out the other signs that people have created and vote for your favorites. I think my fave is "Would You Like a War With That?" Other classics include "Destroying the Planet, One Burger at a Time" and "Supersize Your Ecological Footprint Today!" Making fun of corporations sure is fun, and as I have found out in recent years, boycotting companies you don't agree with is quite satisfying as well.

Labels: activism, art/culture, corpo-consumerism, environment/sustainability

Wednesday, June 14, 2006

Save the Internet!

The corporations are at it again! Big telecom companies are trying to have tighter control over bandwidth (and make a buck in the process). Basically, they would charge web sites for bandwidth, meaning the sites that can afford to pay up will load quickly, and those that can't will load painfully slow or not at all. The House passed a telecommunications bill without net neutrality protections. Net neutrality is basically the First Amendment of the internet: it's what makes everyone from the biggest corporation to an individual blogger on a level playing field and equal opportunity to make their voice heard online. The bill is now in the senate, and hopefully a net neutrality amendment will be added.

I've always seen the internet as one of the last frontiers for truly free speech. The fact that anyone can put up a web page and anyone with access can see it is just amazing. It's the one place that hasn't been totally co-opted for only commercial uses. If net neutrality is not protected, it would be easy for internet providers to control whice sites people got to access and which they could not. And no one should have to be a corporate pawn!

Help keep the internet a level playing field and find out more about net neutrality at SaveTheInternet.com. Send a message to your senators today and keep the internet open for all.

Labels: activism, art/culture, politics

Wednesday, June 15, 2005

Meat=Cancer, Go Veg!

I just read this report from BBC News, saying that eating red meat often is linked to bowel cancer. Well, duh! I'm sure some factory farm advocates will soon fund a study saying the opposite. It's unfortunate that people don't have more access to important health information such as this from their government, because so many lobbyists want Washington to downplay the dangers of things like factory farms, meat, and genetically modified food.

Seneca showed me this site recently. It's really very interesting. It examines human phisiology and evolution and discovers that a plant-based diet is the most natural and healthy human diet. We do not have the digestive system, teeth, or other traits that most carnivores have, and we are not evolved to eat as much meat as we do. If you need more convincing, check out Meet your Meat, a video showing what really happens to animals in factory farms. Beware, it's disturbing, disgusting, and if you have a soul at all, it will make you cry. It definitely reaffirmed my commitment to vegetarianism, and made both Seneca and I consider going vegan instead of eating organic dairy. It's disturbing knowing where your food came from these days...

Labels: activism, animal rights