recently on unplug
- Fight the H8! Nationwide Protests 11/15
- Change Has a Chance!
- Election Season is Making Me Sick
- Take Action Now: Change Begins Within
- Green Living Goes Mainstream
- The Story of Stuff
- Legalize It!
- Tibet Needs Our Support
- "Eco-friendly" Cars are Coming
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great minds think alike: blogs of note
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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.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Fight the H8! Nationwide Protests 11/15
The election was a bittersweet one for many progressive Californians like myself, since we elected the first African-American president and banned gay marriage all in one fell swoop. We're still trying to figure out how that happened. Gay marriage bans were also passed in Florida, Arkansas, and Arizona. The passage of these bans was a serious blow to equality and justice in this country. I am still in shock that Proposition 8 passed in California. I thought one of the most progressive states in the nation would know better. Unfortunately, the Mormon Church was behind the Yes on Prop 8 crowd, and funded a huge advertising blitz in the last weeks of the election.
Even though these measures passed, the fight for equal marriage rights continues. You can get involved by participating in the November 15th protest against hate. Here's a rallying cry from Join the Impact:
Let's move as one full unit, on the same day, at the same hour, and let's show the United States of America that we too are UNITED CITIZENS EQAUL IN MIND, BODY, SPIRIT AND DESERVING OF FULL EQUALITY UNDER THE LAW!
On the steps of your City Hall on November 15th at 10:30am PST / 1:30pm EST, our community WILL take to the streets and speak out against Proposition 8 and all of the other pro-equality losses that we have faced in our lifetimes, in our parents' lifetimes, and for many generations before us.
Find a protest in your area today, and fight the H8! You can sign a petition seeking to repeal Proposition 8 here.
Labels: activism, human rights, news/current events, politics
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
Change Has a Chance!
What a historic, amazing election. I have never been prouder to be an American. We finally elected an African-American president, Bush and company will soon be history, and change will finally be possible. It's about time this election madness was over, and I'm glad there was a good outcome.
The election also brought a great victory for animals here in California - Proposition 2 passed! This historic ballot measure will make the cruel gestation crates, battery cages, and veal crates used by California's factory farms a thing of the past. The lives of 20 million farm animals will be improved in this great step in the right direction. Another victory for animals happened in Massachusetts, where greyhound racing was banned. Animals everywhere thank voters supporting these measures, and it looks like Obama will be a great advocate for animals as president.
California may have improved things for animals, but it's still uncertain whether things will improve for same-sex couples. Proposition 8, which makes a state constitutional amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman, narrowly passed. Opponents of the proposition are still hoping that when all votes are counted, things will turn around. I sure hope they're right. What a blow to equality and human rights. I guess the fight continues!
Hopefully Obama will make good on his promises to bring much-needed change to this country. I am definitely counting down the days until January 20th when we can finally have a changing of the guard. It has been wonderful to be a part of this historic process, now, viva la revolution!
Labels: animal rights, news/current events, politics
Thursday, October 09, 2008
Election Season is Making Me Sick
Seriously, can we be done with those melodrama? Trying to keep up with the tumultuous election season is worse than watching Jerry Springer. I do find it amusing that the McCain campaign has such a hard time coming up with anything substantial to say about Obama that they pull silly allegations and stories out of their butts. I guess it should be no surprise, just look at some of their supporters! The back and forth mudslinging is only clouding our vision and taking attention away from what we should be focusing on: the issues. And there are a lot of them.
I don't even know where to start when writing about this election. For starters, I am not a fan of the two party system. Especially when the two parties are so similar and they're both bought out by corporate interests. And, as much as I'd like a third party to win, with the way things are set up, it really can't happen. So if I really want to vote my conscience and choose the candidate I think would do the best job, I'll be taking that vote away from the major party candidate who most closely reflects my philosophy. Heh, now I guess you know who I'm torn between voting for. Although I'm also strongly considering sticking to the party I'm registered in and voting Green - just to add more confusion to the mix. (Oh, and speaking of Nader, the documentary about him, An Unreasonable Man, is really good).
Then there's the electoral college, which we all attempted to understand in 2000 but never quite got how it was still around. And don't even get me started on voting machines, disenfranchised voters, and all kinds of sketchy behavior that we've seen in the last two elections. This whole thing is just a giant anxiety attack waiting to happen. All I can say is, make sure you're registered to vote by Oct. 20th, and double check it even if you think you're already registered. And then, of course, get your ass out and VOTE on November 4th. (Luckily for me, in this itty bitty town all the ballots arrive by mail).
The debates have been interesting to watch, though not all that exciting. The polls go up and down and don't really tell us much. The media is all over every little development in the election while ignoring the multiple wars we've started, and I'm just about ready to be done with it.
So please vote, and let's be done with this thing. Oh, and if you haven't already, you really ought to watch the Sarah Palin interview with Katie Couric. Just wow.
Labels: news/current events, politics
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Help Find Habeas Corpus
Habeas Corpus is missing, and the ACLU has launched a campaign to find him.
Who is Habeas? Well, he's not really a missing person, but the ACLU has personified him in their campaign because he is indeed missing - ever since the Military Commissions Act of 2006 was passed. Habeas Corpus has been an integral part of democracy since the thirteenth century. According to Wikipedia,
"In common law, habeas corpus is the name of a legal action or writ by means of which detainees can seek relief from unlawful imprisonment. The writ of habeas corpus has historically been an important instrument for the safeguarding of individual freedom against arbitrary state action."
Since individual freedom and rights are (or at least should be) a central part of a democratic government, one would think that it would be too precious to remove from the lawbooks. But, just before the 2006 election, the United States government did just that. Certain detainees can now be legally imprisoned without being charged or given a justification for their imprisonment, denied court review or legal help, and tortured in ways that violate the Geneva Conventions. As part of the "War on Terror," the Military Commissions Act allows the horrible abuses at Guantanamo Bay to continue without consequence, and without due process, it is certain that we are holding innocent people behind bars. In fact, the Bush Administration has acknowledged that many Guantanamo Bay prisoners are not even terrorists!
For an inside look at what prisoners at Guantanamo Bay go through, I suggest watching The Road to Guantanamo, a movie about a group of friends who end up in Guantanamo simply for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. The human rights abuses that are very common at Guantanamo Bay have drawn outcry from many organizations, such as Amnesty International, that demand the prison be closed.
The dissolving of Habeas Corpus and the mere existence of a place as horrible as Guantanamo Bay beg the question: Is the United States even a democracy any more? At the rate things are going, we really can't call ourselves a democracy. It's starting to smell like fascism to me...
Labels: human rights, news/current events, 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
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
Saturday, February 03, 2007
Global Warming: We Frickin' Told You So
Well, the moment of truth has arrived, the debate on Global Warming is over. This week in Paris will be remembered as a turning point for human understanding and the environement. According to a TIME article:
[The] Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the U.N. body of leading researchers charged with analyzing climate science and producing the final word on what is happening - and will happen - to our planet. IPCC scientists now say that it is "very likely" that global warming is chiefly driven by the buildup of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases caused by human activity, and that dangerous levels of warming and sea rise are on the way.
Here's a good video of news coverage on the topic as well.
All I can think to say is, "we told you so." America can no longer be in denial, and in fact Bush has even come around to admitting that something must be done about it. In his State of the Union Address, as I mentioned in a previous post, he promoted increasing efficiency and reducing our dependence on foreign oil by promoting alternative energy. I'm a bit stunned but very glad that the tide is finally turning and people are finally waking up to reality. And now, it's time to get things moving and start changing things around here!
Several movements have been springing up throughout the climate change "debate," which has been going on for decades. Some that I've been watching are StopGlobalWarming.org, which has begun a virtual march against global warming. Of course, Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth raised awareness of the severity of the problem, and he is actually being nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize for his work on global warming through his film. Another site promoting change is called Step it Up, where more than 500 places have registered to hold a day of action on April 14, 2007, demanding change. They're saying "Step it Up Congress! Cut carbon 80% by 2050."
It's definitely time for some drastic measures to be taken. I hope everyone is ready for a dramatic lifestyle change and I hope this is just the beginning of a massive change in consciousness on this planet. Let's hope so. Our future is at stake.
Labels: environment/sustainability, news/current events
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
The Amazon and Idaho's Wolves: In Crisis
I read a very informative article in National Geographic about the Amazon rainforest that unplug readers may want to check out. The Amazon, one of the most bio-diverse places left on the planet and an important tipping point of global warming, is in peril. According to the article, by Scott Wallace, "During the past 40 years, close to 20% of the Amazon rain forest has been cut down - more than in all the previous 450 years since European colonization began." Greedy land-grabbers, large multi-national corporations, and weak protection enforcement have all contributed to the attacks on this fragile ecosystem. The article looks at the Amazon from many varied viewpoints, from poor and indigenous people living on the land, to the "King of Soy" - the largest producer of soy in the world, who operates in the Amazon. Soy is one of the Amazon region's largest exports (along with timber, which is often cut illegaly). Corn, cotton, and beef are also raised on Amazon land, much of which is exported to the US and Europe.
The destruction of the Amazon should not be news to anyone, but it is still continuing, and still largely ignored. In a recent Adbusters magazine article, I read that the logging of the Amazon has reached a tipping point. The article, by Jerry Toth, mentions that "30% of the Amazon rainforest has been wiped out or partially deforested. Scientists now predict that once the forest loss hits a critical threshold of 40%, the Amazon will slip into an irreversible, self-perpetuating cycle of deforestation and drought... whereupon the world's largest jungle will convert itself into the likeness of a desert." One reason this happens is because the Amazon produces half its own rainfall from the moisture it releases into the atmosphere. As the forest is cut down, less and less moisture is released and less rain falls, creating a dangerous cycle. Depressing news, indeed. Reading about the Amazon has raised many questions in my mind, such as which companies operate in the Amazon, and if the tofu I eat on occasion could have been made from soybeans grown on land that should be rainforest.
Ecosystems are delicate, and as they continue to get more and more polluted, thinned out, and destroyed, we'll continue to see more negative side effects, such as more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, more global warming, and the destruction of more species.
Another issue I've been concerned about lately, and one that's a bit closer to home for me, are the wolves here in Idaho. Idaho is planning to remove wolves from the Endangered Species Act after their controvesial reintroduction into Idaho wilderness and subsequent increase in numbers. There are many ranchers and hunters in this state that are vehemently opposed to wolves being protected. If wolves are de-listed, the state is poised to kill up to 75% of the wolves living in the Lolo district of the Clearwater National Forest (which is one of the areas I enjoy backpacking and wildlife-watching in). As a wildlife proponent and someone who does not believe in raising animals for food or hunting, I've gotta say I disagree with the ranchers and hunters. Maybe I'm a bit biased because my dog Juneau is a close relative of wolves, but I think the wolves deserve to stay in what little wilderness is left, and they need our protection to keep from dying off and upsetting the fragile balance of the area's ecosystems.
Defenders of Wildlife has a campaign on this issue and I have submitted a letter to the US Fish & Wildlife Service asking that wolves continue to be protected. I hope you'll do the same. Friends of the Clearwater is another oranization concerned with protecting wildlife that I support. They are a local organization based here in Moscow, and there is plenty of information, event listings, and even a satellite photo of clearcuts in the Clearwater river area on their site.
The natural world is in crisis, these issues are just two of many examples. It's hard not to feel overwhelmed when I hear such terrible news, but it's important to remember that one person CAN make a difference, and that change has got to start somewhere. Keep on fighting the good fight! :)
Labels: environment/sustainability, news/current events
Tuesday, September 27, 2005
Hurricane Season
Hurricane season has just begun, and already Katrina and Rita have devastated the Gulf Coast. My heart goes out to all the victims, and my rage goes out to the Mayors, Governors, and Federal big-wigs who did not prepare in time and sent FEMA days too late.
Among other outrageous flaws in the rescue effort, people were told they couldn't take their pets when they were rescued or evacuated. Can you imagine having to leave your companion behind? PETA has spent the past few weeks rescuing animals left behind and fostering them (in their office no less). It's nice to work for an organization that's doing something for the hurricane's forgotten victims. :)
Perhaps the worst offense of these disasters has been the Bush administration's stubborn ignorance and their refusal to accept that Global Warming does exist, and that it is contributing to the storms' ferocity and intensity. Instead of facing the issue and doing something about it, they ignore the truth and people suffer as a result. It's about time this nation started addressing the fact that we are some of the world's worst polluters, and we owe it to future generations to start cleaning up our mess. Mother Nature is clearly pissed at us. It's time to clean up our acts and start realizing the connections between pollution, global warming, and the strange weather patterns that are only the beginning of catastrophic climate change.
Labels: environment/sustainability, news/current events
Thursday, May 19, 2005
Amazon destruction accelerating
BBC News reports that the Amazon Rainforest is being destroyed at near record levels. Reckless deforestation over the past 12 months means that now one-fifth of the entire Amazon Rainforest has been destroyed, mostly for farmland. This means that one-fifth of the lush tropical rainforest just south of us can no longer produce oxygen, filter out pollution, and house many species of animals and plants. Why isn't destruction of this magnitude considered terrorism? We need all the trees we can get if we hope to stand a chance against global warming.
Labels: environment/sustainability, news/current events
