Surviving Capitalism (Not) : 2011: A Year of Weather Extremes, with More to Come

We’ve lived so long under the spell of hierarchy—from god-kings to feudal lords to party bosses—that only recently have we awakened to see not only that “regular” citizens have the capacity for self-governance, but that without their engagement our huge global crises cannot be addressed. The changes needed for human society simply to survive, let alone thrive, are so profound that the only way we will move toward them is if we ourselves, regular citizens, feel meaningful ownership of solutions through direct engagement. Our problems are too big, interrelated, and pervasive to yield to directives from on high.
—Frances Moore Lappé, excerpt from Time for Progressives to Grow Up

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

2011: A Year of Weather Extremes, with More to Come

Click here to access article by Janet Larsen and Sara Rasmussen from Earth Policy Institute.

...while some parts of the globe were overwhelmed by rain in 2011, others were distinguished by dryness. A severe drought in the Horn of Africa that began in 2010 devolved into a crisis situation in 2011, characterized by crop failure, exorbitant food prices, and widespread malnutrition. Exacerbated by chronic political instability and a belated humanitarian response, the death toll may have exceeded 50,000 people.

Meanwhile, the leading publication of the One Percent continues to provide misinformation to their constituents. Read "Dismal Science at the Wall Street Journal " from the Union of Concerned Scientists website.