Between Nope and Hope: When Politics Meets the Environment

October 21, 2015

Politics (from Greek: πολιτικός politikos, definition "of, for, or relating to citizens”) is the practice and theory of influencing other people.

More narrowly, it refers to achieving and exercising positions of governance — organized control over a human community, particularly a state.

Furthermore, politics is the study or practice of the distribution of power and resources within a given community (a usually hierarchically organized population) as well as the interrelationship(s) between communities.

3 Things

Truths

Justice

Louisiana Way

Truth #1 Nothing is More important than

clean air and water to the sustainability of life.

Truth #2 Money does not value life. Truth #1 does not figure in

the cost calculations of businesses.

Truth #3 Culture of Deceit:

Necessary to hide true costs of disposable society — not just fossil fuels.

Tobacco. BP.

CHEVRON. EXXONMOBIL.

Drill, Baby, Drill = Kill, Baby, Kill.

Truth #4 The Great Awakening is under way.

Climate Change has been elevated above the

Political and Environmental planes into

Realm of MORALITY.

K +10. Pope Francis.

Episcopalians divest. Mouth of the Mississippi.

JUSTICE The way to Justice is through Politics

— but not politics as usual.

Justice Tip O'Neill — “All politics is local.”

All environmental issues are political. That is they constitute a fight over core truths.

The most intense fights are local.

Justice The ground has shifted globally and locally.

Great St. Tammany Fracking Fight is a great local example of global phenomena.

Justice Conversation Is Change

Justice Institutions can move on their own, outside of political, governmental

and regulatory structures.

Louisiana Way We stand on the shoulders of Giants.

Louisiana Way Article 9, Section 1

Louisiana Constitution

1. Natural Resources and Environment; Public Policy Section 1. The natural resources of the state, including air and water, and the healthful, scenic, historic, and esthetic quality of the environment shall be protected, conserved, and replenished insofar as possible and consistent with the health, safety, and welfare of the people. The legislature shall enact laws to implement this policy.

Louisiana Way We are a Petro-Colonial State –

That is, our state government and its powers have been captured and put into service

on behalf of an industry that is not based here and has no stake in our future beyond

the extraction of the last drop of oil or the last particle of natural gas.

Louisiana Way It is not enough to play defense.

Louisiana Way Southern Hills Aquifer Commission

Industrial Impact Bond Regime Coastal Restoration – Make Industry Pay

Louisiana Way Whatever You Allow.

Anyone Who Breathes Air or

Drinks Water has a Stake in the

Outcome.

Our Town. Our Parish. Our State.

Our Country. Our Planet.

Act Like It!