Category Archives: environment

Remembering Ward Morehouse 1929-2012

I have written on this site a great deal about pacifist heroes of the past.  Ward Morehouse is a pacifist her owhom I was lucky enough to have worked with.

Even in our corporatized culture, there are still many people to act as guideposts for how to live a life, they are just not publicized.  Ward Morehouse is definitely one of those Great people.  And I just found out recently that we lost him.

I met Ward in the late 1990’s through The Other Economic Summit North America (TOES).  He was the Chair of TOES NA.  Before there was Occupy, or even the Battle of Seattle, there was TOES.  They would shadow the G8 summit, and put on a conference highlighting a humane vision of the planet’s economy.  Ward was so much more than an academic,  he was a visionary, leader, teacher, publisher, and activist.  The obituary below describes him better than I could.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8iWdyH4vWVM]   Continue reading Remembering Ward Morehouse 1929-2012

Are genetically engineered foods bad for you?: New research on GMO food

Original article at: earthopensource.org

Summary article at: commondreams.org news source

An “Egads!” political GMO happening described at Alternet: here.

(excerpt from) Common Dreams
New Report on the Dangers of Genetically Modified Foods
by Richard Schiffman / July 5, 2012

Dear! Stop buying the genetically modified pro...

“Aren’t critics of genetically engineered food anti-science? Isn’t the debate over GMOs (genetically modified organisms) a spat between emotional but ignorant activists on one hand and rational GM-supporting scientists on the other?”

These questions are posed by Earth Open Source, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to assuring the sustainability, security, and safety of the global food system. They answer their own questions in a new study “GMO Myths and Truths.” The myth, they say, is that GM foods have been proven safe. The truth is that there are hidden dangers which corporate-funded research has not yet adequately investigated.

What makes this report unusual is that it was authored not by the usual food activists and environmentalists, but by two well known genetic engineers with help from an investigative reporter.The team conducted an exhaustive survey of hundreds of peer-reviewed scientific studies and concluded not only that GM food crops pose significant, if largely under-evaluated, health risks, but that they have so far failed to deliver on their promise to increase crop yields and lower herbicide and pesticide use.

The authors argue, moreover, that there are already safer environmentally friendly ways to grow more food for the planet’s exploding population… Continue reading Are genetically engineered foods bad for you?: New research on GMO food

Independent books for July 4th

Books for Independence Day

There’s never been a better time to speak out against injustices, stand up together for our rights and take action to preserve sovereignty, community and democracy.

Occupy World Street

A Global Roadmap for Radical Economic and Political Reform

Occupy World Street: A Global Roadmap for Radical Economic and Political Reform

As demonstrators worldwide demand change, Occupy World Street offers a sweeping vision of how to reform our global economic and political structures, break away from empire, and build a world of self-determining sovereign states that respect the need for ecological sustainability and uphold human rights.

In this refreshingly detailed plan, Ross Jackson shows how a handful of small nations could take on a leadership role; create new alliances, new governance, and new global institutions; and, in cooperation with grassroots activists, pave the way for other nations to follow suit.
“Ross Jackson presents us with an extraordinary global plan to tackle the multiple crises of our times—awesome in conception, sensitive in detail, and realistic enough to succeed.”—Richard Register, author of Ecocities—Rebuilding Cities in Balance with Nature.

2052: A Global Forecast for the Next Forty Years

2052: A Global Forecast for the Next Forty Years

Commemorating the fortieth Anniversary of The Limits to Growth, 2052 asks, what will happen to humanity over the next forty years?

We know that much needs to change to make our future more sustainable. But will we rise to the occasion? How much change is likely to occur? And how do we prepare to live good lives in the world that is likely to emerge?
These are the questions that propelled Jorgen Randers, a renowned analyst of global trends, to ask dozens of leading experts around the globe to weigh in with their best predictions on how our economies, energy supplies, natural resources, climate, food, fisheries, militaries, political divisions, cities, psyches, and more will take shape in the coming decades.

May 31st is poet Walt Whitman’s Birthday: Celebrate with silence

Walt Whitman is one of my favorite poets. I like to remember his birthday, which is on May 31st, and falls on a Thursday this year. There are some events and celebrations around this time at the Walt Whitman Birthplace in Long Island. And, my idea for a holiday to this beloved, transcendentalist, nature poet is to set aside 15 minutes on his birthday to celebrate silence.

More about a silent celebration of Walt Whitman’s birthday:

Continue reading May 31st is poet Walt Whitman’s Birthday: Celebrate with silence

For children and adults who cherish peace: “Little Drops of Water” is Peace Song for 4/23/2012

(On 4/17/2013, we dedicated “Little Drops of Water” as a song of healing and peace to the Boston Marathon community.)

Little Drops of Water” is the Peace Song of the Day for April 23, 2012. It is a traditional song from England. I first discovered this song in the collection, Singing Bee!, compiled by Jane Hart.

I could not resist making my own verse for this song which clearly states the need for “peace”. Below my video are other versions and resources for the “Little Drops of Water” song.



Lyrics and more about this song…
Continue reading For children and adults who cherish peace: “Little Drops of Water” is Peace Song for 4/23/2012

Preparing for Earth Day: Peace Songs for 4/21/2012

Earth Day is Sunday, April 22, 2012

(See a long list of peace songs for Earth Day after the video!)

Lily of the Valley (cc) Dger at Wikimedia

Books for Earth Day at onthewilderside: here.

Duke Augustus’ favorite Earth Day stuff: here.

White Coral Bells” is the Peace Song of the Day for April 21st. It is a short, sweet song about Lily of the Valley flowers, often sung as a round.

A riddle: Is it more important for people who want peace, to realize that peace starts with loving the earth? Or, is it more important for people who love the earth, to realize the only way to save the earth is to end the wars and embrace peace?

Probably a riddle that doesn’t need to be solved. Though, it does go to the heart of this website. In caring for peace and justice, Kimberly and Ian were drawn into green activism. Then, while submersed in green activism, we realized that we really wanted a special place set aside for pacifism and peace. Those feelings were part of the vision that became this Peace Couple project.

Because of the interconnectedness of peace work and environmentalism, many of the Peace Songs of the Day are about earth, nature, and the environment. Each song we list also reflects the value of nonviolence.

Continue reading Preparing for Earth Day: Peace Songs for 4/21/2012

Dance, Recite, and Converse for Earth Day!

For this Earth Day, we wanted to share with you some of the movies, music, and books that have inspired us to joyfully engage in our environmental activism.

Mindwalk.  This movie is a favorite of Ian’s.  It is based on the book Turning Point by physicist Fritjof Capra.  Capra is best know for his book, The Tao of Physics which removes the artificial barriers between religious understanding and scientific understanding.  The book, The Turning Point, presented the movie maker’s problem of how to turn a book about the complexity of our ecological problems into a narrative.  The solution was to set it in a beautiful place,  Mont. St. Michael, France.  And set in motion a discussion between a physicist (Liv Ullmann) and poet (John Heard), and a former presidential candidate  (Sam Waterston) as they walk through Mont. St. Michael.  The narrative form also provided a solution to a lesser problem.  There was already a very famous ballet movie called Turning Point, so the Capra’s movie was named Mindwalk to avoid confusion and reflect the new form.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMZ9xwfmNvs]  Continue reading Dance, Recite, and Converse for Earth Day!