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, January 29, 2014

With Arctic freezer door open, frigid air drains into USA and Eurasia, with Arctic unusually mild

Click here to access article by David Spratt from Climate Code Red.
There is evidence connecting sea-ice loss to the more severe and extreme weather patterns in Europe and North America.... 
It seems to me that climate destabilization has only just begun. As it gets dramatically worse over the coming decades, capitalist class media directors will have their hands full trying to manage the widespread concern among their subject populations. 

However, many people still are not convinced. Recently someone asked me, "If global warming is real then why is it cold?". I really tried hard to be patient with this person and explained briefly that what we are seeing is destabilization of the climate while global average temperatures keep climbing. During my explanation I noticed her rolling her eyes rather contemptuously and I realized that she had been thoroughly indoctrinated by media sources which included Fox News.  What I'd like to do is send her a link to this Daily Show segment, but she might feel that I was ridiculing her--and I might be.

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