What Has Earth Day Devolved Into?

[chlamor]

I find it odd that we Need an "Earth Day" and that we have a term such as "Environment". We are thoroughly eviscerated from the source of all our sustenance and sanity-The Land.


ENVIRONMENT-U.S.:
Earth Day 2005 - Co-opted and Commercialised?

OAKLAND, USA, Apr 22 (IPS) - On Friday, thousands of people in hundreds of communities throughout the United States will be celebrating the 35th anniversary of Earth Day.

Originally started during the turbulent days of anti-Vietnam War protests, many believe that Earth Day has devolved from a day to reflect on the serious environmental issues affecting the country into a series of amorphous and unfocused public celebrations, many of which are corporate sponsored.

<snip>

Q: What has Earth Day evolved/devolved into?

A: It wasn't long before Earth Day was taken over by those companies creating the most pollution and doing the greatest social and ecological harm. Within 10 years of that first Earth Day, oil, gas, nuclear energy and chemical companies were sponsoring the event and by the end of the millenium, Earth Day was largely rendered meaningless.

<snip>

Q: I understand that the U.S. Army is also chiming in on Earth Day.

A: Yes, the U.S. Army will be participating and unveiling its brand new Earth Day catchphrase, ”Sustaining the Environment for a Secure Future.” Last year, according to the U.S. Army Environmental Centre web site, the Army claimed that it celebrated Earth Day at approximately 200 major commands, installations and organisations in the continental United States, Hawaii, Korea, Japan, Italy and Germany.

http://www.ipsnews.net/interna.asp?idnews=28418

[acmejack]

1. No question

The Army litters the environment with tons of DU, what a novel way of celebrating. Perhaps these people need to be reminded that we had better be serious about making every day Earth day. Great post, Chlamor!

[rodeodance]

2. its just (non genuine) PR for the stores/corporations. Hardly heard a

word from the media today-except part of Bush speech. He was doing so poorly -hardly following a script-he cut him off.

[seemslikeadream]

3. BURSON-MARSTELLER: PR FOR THE NEW WORLD ORDER

Corporate Environmentalism

For years B-M has been involved in major environmental issues all over the world, not hesitating to give polluters a helping hand when confronted by activist groups and/or government regulations. Many transnational corporations have turned to B-M for help in the creation of a pedantic, elitist and corporate-oriented brand of environmentalism. It is the hope of entrepreneurial sectors and neoliberal demagogues that this type of safe and harmless environmental activism will displace the more militant and agressive grassroots groups.

B-M's environmental services have benefited industrial polluters, such as the following:


Babcock & Wilcox, when its nuclear power plant in Three Mile Island had its famous mishap in 1979.

Union Carbide, to handle the public relations crisis caused by the Bhopal tragedy in 1984.

Exxon, to counter the negative press coverage it got in the wake of the Exxon-Valdez oil spill in 1989.

Ontario Hydro, an industrial concern, headed by Earth Summit secretary general Maurice Strong, which is the biggest source of CO2 emissions in Canada. This corporation is currently selling nuclear reactors to Argentina and Chile.

The Louisiana-Pacific (L-P) logging company, famous for its union- busting, clear cutting of old growth forests and support for anti- environmental front groups. L-P hopes to convince its employees and the public that ruralunemployment in North America is caused by environmental extremists and opressive government regulation and not by unsustainable logging practices or the relocation of s awmills to low-wage countries like Mexico.

B-M formed the British Columbia Forest Alliance (BCFA), a Canadian front group which has L-P among its founding members. BCFA is campaigning against restrictions on logging and is actively work ing to smear and discredit environmentalists. Other BCFA members include Mitsubishi and Weyerhaueser.

B-M is a key player in the nuclear industry lobby. According to Canadian journalist Joyce Nelson, B-M has for years "represented top nuclear power/nuclear weapons contractors such as General Electric, AT&T, McDonnell Douglas, Asea Brown Boveri and Du Pont. In fact, Canada's first Candu reactor sale to Argentina in the early 1970's was later renegotiated during the reign of the military junta, for whom Burson-Marsteller did an image-cleanup from 1976-1981". In addition to this, since 1993 B-M subsidiary Black, Manafort, Stone & Kelly (see sidebar) has been representing Nordion International, a newly-privatised subsidiary of Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd., Canada's state-owned nuclear power company.

B-M coordinated the oil industry's campaign to discredit and destroy president Clinton's proposal for a BTU tax.

A B-M executive sits on the board of Keep America Beautiful, a front for the packaging and waste hauling industries that lobbies against mandatory recycling laws, especially the passage of a national bottle bill in the US.

B-M's most powerful and influential 'environmental' client is the Business Council for Sustainable Development (BCSD), an eco-capitalist outfit founded by Swiss banker Stephan Schmidheiny. A leading theorist and advocate of neoliberal dogma and corporate environmentalism, Schmidheiny agressively combines entrepreneurship and statesmanship. He is a board member of NestlE9, and a director and shareholder (5% owner) of B-M client Asea Brown Boveri. BCSD's original task was to act behind the scenes at the 1992 Earth Summit, which was chaired by the current head of B-M client Ontario Hydro Maurice Strong, to neutralize and silence any voices critical of the irresponsible behavior of polluting corporations. In the words of Joyce Nelson, "With the able assistance of public relations giant Burson-Marsteller, a very elite group of business people (including B-M itself) was seemingly able to plan the agenda for the Earth Summit with little interference from NGO's or government leader s". Nowadays BCSD is advocating free markets and unfettered corporate activity as the only salvation of the environment. Its members include the CEO's of Asea Brown Boveri, Browning Ferris Industries, Ciba-Geigy, Dow Chemical, DuPont, BCFA member Mitsubishi, Maurice Strong's Ontario Hydro, Royal Dutch-Shell, and companies from Argentina, Brasil, Chile, Spain, India, Kenya, Nigeria, Thailand and Venezuela.
more
http://home.intekom.com/tm_info/ge_bm.htm

[rkc3]

4. They said BM, ahuh huh huh.

[seemslikeadream]

5. Fighting for Environmental Pollution

Crisis management for Union Carbide following Bhopal Disaster
In India in 1984, B-M handled crisis management for US company Union Carbide when its pesticide plant in Bhopal leaked more than 40 tonnes of toxic gas. 2000 people were killed instantly and after three days 5000 had died; at least 20,000 have died since, as a result of the disaster, and hundreds of thousands are suffering lung, eye and gastric complaints. Tuberculosis incidence in Bhopal is 3 times the Indian average. Following B-M’s PR and lobbying work, in 1989, as part of a court settlement, Union Carbide paid US$470 million on the condition that it could not be held liable in any future criminal or civil proceedings, and the Indian Supreme Court dropped all charges of manslaughter against Union Carbide, although safety mechanisms at the plant were appallingly inadequate. The company has now left India, leaving most of the responsibility with the Indian government<52>.

Crisis management for Exxon Valdez oil spill
In the wake of the Unabomber’s allegations that Burson-Marsteller was hired to manage Exxon’s PR crisis over the Exxon Valdez oil spill, B-M has officially denied conducting crisis management over the issue. It does, however, admit to conducting a study of the case for Exxon after the event.

Californians for Realistic Vehicle Standards
Burson-Marsteller is also behind a front group called "Californians for Realistic Vehicle Standards," formed to oppose restrictions on automobile emissions of nitrogen oxide and other polluting gases. "The address of the month-old lobbying group is the Sacramento headquarters of the California Chamber of Commerce, while the group's phone number is that of the Sacramento office of Burson-Marsteller, an international public relations firm often used by the auto industry. Detroit auto makers provided the bulk of the money for the new group”<53>.

Three Mile Island
Whilst Hill & Knowlton flacked for Metropolitan Edison, the plant’s operators, B-M conducted crisis PR for Babcock & Wilcox, the company that built the reactor at Three Mile Island<54>.

Keep America Beautiful
B-M works for the best-known anti-littering campaign in the USA, Keep America Beautiful (KAB). KAB attempts to educate and motivate the American public to reduce littering and is funded by many corporate interests. While superficially it appears to promote a worthy cause, the corporate interest is in its implicit message that littering, amongst other environmental issues, is the responsibility of the individual citizen.
In the 1970s and 1980s, environmental and consumer groups accused it of opposing various state and national efforts to establish mandatory bottle and can recycling. The proposed legislation would have helped the litter problem, but offended the interests of some of KAB's corporate sponsors including Coca-Cola, Anheuser-Busch and the Reynolds Metal Company<55>. Its long term ignoring the of the issue of cigarette butt littering, is best explained by its funding from the four largest U.S. tobacco companies, Philip Morris, R.J. Reynolds, Brown & Williamson and Lorillard.

Alliance for Beverage Cartons and the Environment
In Europe, BM set up the Alliance for Beverage Cartons and the Environment, in 'defence of the beverage carton against environmental and regulatory pressures'. Its purpose is to make disposable cartons look environmentally friendly, and is sponsored by packaging interests such as Tetra Pak, Elopak, Bowater (now called REXAM) and Weyerhauser<56>.

BP’s Torrey Canyon oil spill
B-M handled crisis management for, long-standing client, BP in the wake of the 1967 Torrey Canyon oil spill that devastated wildlife along the Cornish coastline<57>.

Czech Mining
B-M conducted a PR campaign in the Czech Republic on behalf of TVX Gold, a Canadian mining corporation. TVX needed help in renewing its exploration license for a gold deposit near the town of Kaperske Hory and countering local opposition. The project posed a substantial threat to the unique environment of the Sumava Mountains and became a major controversy in the Czech Republic.
In January 1997, TVX halted pre-mining exploration in Kasperske Hory when authorities would not renew its drilling license.
B-M’s campaign began as a relatively modest attempt to allay fears about the environmental impact of the project but later became a blatant attempt to replace Frantisek Stibal, the mayor of Kapserske Hory. Along the way they hired Czech celebrities to promote the project and published a free local newsletter in the area. Vojtech Kotecky, of Friends of the Earth Czech Republic, described the campaign as unscrupulous, full of dirty personal attacks, sophisticated and well-directed propaganda, combined with offers of financial support to the local community.
Ultimately it was to no avail. After two years of campaigning on either side, the Czech government cancelled TVX’s concession after Stibal was re-elected in landslide victory. "Fortunately the Czech people remember methods of Communist propaganda and therefore are rather immune to TVX's similar ones," says Stibal<58>.
more
http://www.corporatewatch.org.uk/profiles/burson/burson4.htm

[cloudythescribbler]

6. Earth Day evaluation & suggestions

Yes, the first thing is that Earth Day has been heavily coopted by corporations seeking to greenwash their images, and by politicians doing the same. One of the particularly perverse features of Earthday is the inordinate focus, in schools, for example, on individual and micro actions, like 'recycle your garbage' (a good thing but not the main issue) and not on an evaluation of what policies are needed. All the individual actions in the world won't make a lick of difference if the policies at the macro level continue as they are, leading to ecological destruction. It's the old notion that if you have any complaints, just look into your own backyard, and don't hassle the powers that pee too much. In no way does this suggest that individual actions are irrelevant or unworthy or even unimportant, only SECONDARY to policy issues -- when you hear someone say that policy issues are "also" important, or that they are "both" important, you are looking at someone evading the problem.

Incidentally, when Earth Day started, the brainchild of a US Senator, Nelson, it was decried by an attempt by the Nixon Administration to distract from the Vietnam War. Earth Day was NEVER a radical holiday, so it didn't have far to go to actually be coopted. The best solution is not for progressives to ignore or merely criticize Earth Day, but to make it a basis for an annual march on Washington, and an annual gathering like the spring mobilization in San Francisco for Jobs Peace & Justice. At these protests, which can be just militant enough to steal the spotlight, the proper prioritization of Earth Day could be regularly put forward.

This large protest could supplement smaller ones around the country. But a large and boisterous protest in the tens of thousands or more in DC -- not just a large gathering or concert -- could help set EarthDay on what ought to be its political trajectory. A "state of the Earth" speech would be a part of every year's rally.

There are a number of suggestions and issues that need to be made. "Eco-industrialization" is a broad umbrella concept for the total makeover of our society, a new phase of industrialization, that is needed. Alternative energy is advocated wisely, but specific plans should be outlined, for example, focusing on the fact that automotive vehicles run on metallic hydrides have been available and economical for 20+ years (see 'someone doesn't like hy-fuel' from The Nation magazine IN 1981!). Cars can be transferred over to run on hyfuel quite cheaply. The main problem is that cheap hydrogen (cheaper than gas) is in limited supply given current technology, but at least 10% of automotive use could be transferred over AT A COST SAVINGS now. This should be mandatory for ALL public buses, licensed taxis, and government vehicles, as well as government subcontractors where feasible working on government contracts (like privately contracted garbage pickup), especially in cities like Denver and LA with terrible pollution problems. There could be further incentives, like much lower tolls in NYC and other advantages to promote hydro-vehicles, as well as availability of the recyclable magnesium hydride canisters that run them. Similar concrete proposals for solar thermal, solar voltaic, and wind energy, including the size and scope and cost should be put forward, including for third world development. Regardless of "political feasibility" the existence of such a comprehensive plan for energy, including conservation, would show clearly that an alternative is possible concretely to current energy policies. It could be advertised in say the NY Times to counter the usual dismissal of these in oil company ads.

Another politically beneficial idea is pollution and scarce resource taxes. Taxes on agriwater, by the acre-foot, in CA could raise revenue and conserve water. Wherever toxic pesticides are permitted, and many should be banned or radically restricted, like DDT or methyl bromide are, they should be taxed heavily, even where limited also. Mercury emissions, sulfur, and other pollutants, could be heavily taxed to help meet state and local budget imbalances while curbing pollution too. Such pollution taxes would be very popular.
Taxes on new automobiles in proportion to their mileage under, say 40 mpg, with a complex formula, like a $3000 tax credit every time you buy a new car or SUV with $150 subtracted for each mpg estimated in overall average use less than 60mpg. A car getting 40mpg would pay a net of zero. A hydrogen car would automatically have a $3000 credit. And an SUV getting 20 mpg would face a $3000 tax! This would be more feasible than a gas tax, as mostly people around or above median income buy NEW cars, and those who do could avoid the tax by buying more efficient ones. It might become known as an SUV tax.

There are many other ideas, from tradeable fishing quotas (usually tradeable credits for toxic pollutants is a BAD idea, one originally introduced BY AN ENVIRONMENTAL ORGANIZATION) but for scarce resource use it's relatively OK. There could be a similar approach to redwoods, with a heavy tax on redwood trees cut, (always by the selective cutting method, as in the Forests Forever initiative of 1990 that I was active on), using the income stream from the tax to buy virgin lands and to engage in land restoration and to find forestry jobs for lumber workers.

Exposing and opposing the "nuclear option" is another essential focus, along with an absolute ban on ANY nuclear materials being shot up into space. There are many other issues, including large subsidies to third world countries to end all ozone-destroying chemical use and their measures to avoid Greenhouse gas increases. A carbon tax on new cars could supplement the mileage tax.

There are more dramatic issues, like finding ways to clean the atmosphere of excess CO2, ODC's (ozone-destroying chemicals) and other pollutants, not only on the ground but in the air, eg over Antarctica, reforestation, land restoration throughout the world, promoting organic and humane farming etc etc. All these can and should be the focus of the annual authentically progressive EarthDay megarally.

[seemslikeadream]

7. WHEN BUSH LIES OUR PLANET DIES

Dust Bin America
http://www.ericblumrich.com/sp.html




Smothered Hope

withered rope you hang what's empty can't remain to put it simply
in time cry the hollow words to sing with false disguise
smothered hope fly from sorrow for a new divine tomorrow
i just don't want to know anymore
life shifts up and down everybody knows it's wrong
why don't you care? now do it seem fair?
it's not in the rhyme or reason
so it goes with every season crawl to top fall through bottom
first hand love is really rotten
slice of life find what's plenty inch towards a sanctuary
light with me inside the womb
i know everyone everybody knows it's me
it's my voice, my voice cries out obscenity
sightless eye regard my past sometimes it should
i just don't want to know anymore.

skinny puppy

[OneBlueSky]

8. lemme tell you about the first Earth Day in 1970 . . .

at the time, I was working with Pete Seeger's CLEARWATER project . . . we had just launched the 96' Hudson River sloop the year before, and Pete wanted us to sail down to Washington for Earth Day to deliver the first "State of the Hudson" report to any Members of Congress or their staff who might be interested . . . it was a multimedia (slides, dialogue and music) presentation scripted by Lee Hays of the Weavers, with Pete and some other folks providing the live tunes . . .

the first presentation was in one of the House office buildings, and it was packed . . . mostly staffers, but a few Congresscritters as well . . . great show that got a standing ovation . . .

the second presentation was to be as part of a big outdoor evening concert at some park or other in DC . . . when we got there, turns out they had scheduled us to follow the Chambers Brothers -- not a good move since our show was very laid back and kind of serious . . . Pete blew his stack at the producer, actually had him backed up against a fence and looked like he was ready to clock him . . . as always, it was wife Toshi to the rescue . . . and despite following a major rock act, the presentation was again well received . . .

on a side note, CLEARWATER hit a gale in the Chesapeake, the bow went under, and the jib filled with water and burst like a balloon . . . ever try to find a replacement 1000 square foot sail that would fit a 19th century sailboat? . . . well, we did, someplace in Maryland! . . . wasn't an exact fit, mind you, but it did get us back to New York in one piece . . . :)

[chlamor]

9. Pete Seeger

is an ancient spirit from the Earth. Where did we go so wrong?

Thank you for the story. I see no political solution, as we know politics, to the screaming ecological catastrophe we are in. It must come from deep in the soul of the grassroots folks. Are we up to it?

For the Children

The rising hills, the slopes
of statistics
lie before us
the steep climb
of everything, going up,
up, as we all
go down.

In the next century
or the one beyond that,
they say
are valleys, pastures,
we can meet there in peace
if we make it.

To climb those coming crests
one word to you, to
you and your children:

stay together
learn the flowers
go light

1974

Gary Snyder