July 29, 2014
WHY WHAT YOU DO MATTERS
Children in our classes know what is going on in our world, about climate change, endangered species, the death of the oceans, the continued pollution of air, water and land, and the culture of profit over people. One little girl asked, 'Why aren't the adults doing anything?'
When I have posed this question over the decades, the responses are predictable.
"I'm too busy. Someone else will do it." (Who would that be?)
"Surely THEY won't let anything bad happen." (Who is this mysterious THEY?)
Then there is the pseudo new age denial approach - that going within and mending what is wrong inside is enough. (It's an important first step - yes, but then follow the example of all great spiritual teachers and ACT).
"I don't want to be negative' (So, stay with me here. If you see an adult striking a child in the grocery store, are you telling me you would not do anything because to do so would be 'negative'?"
Lastly, I hear..."It's too big. What I do won't matter."
Philosopher Jean Houston says, 'If not you, who? If not now, when?'
Educator Ashley Montague said, 'Evil flourishes when good men (and women) remain silent.'
Dr. Martin Luther King said, 'Peace is not the absence of tension. It is the presence of justice.'
So as we approach the summer solstice, I encourage you to open your heart to the natural beauty of the world, look into the eyes of those you love, and raise your voice - fiercely and compassionately. One by one, we can create a quantum shift. Let's get going, folks!
July 28, 2014
JUSTICE FOR ALL
WHY WHAT YOU DO MATTERS
Children in our classes know what is going on in our world, about climate change, endangered species, the death of the oceans, the continued pollution of air, water and land, and the culture of profit over people. One little girl asked, 'Why aren't the adults doing anything?'
When I have posed this question over the decades, the responses are predictable.
"I'm too busy. Someone else will do it." (Who would that be?)
"Surely THEY won't let anything bad happen." (Who is this mysterious THEY?)
Then there is the pseudo new age denial approach - that going within and mending what is wrong inside is enough. (It's an important first step - yes, but then follow the example of all great spiritual teachers and ACT).
"I don't want to be negative' (So, stay with me here. If you see an adult striking a child in the grocery store, are you telling me you would not do anything because to do so would be 'negative'?"
Lastly, I hear..."It's too big. What I do won't matter."
Philosopher Jean Houston says, 'If not you, who? If not now, when?'
Educator Ashley Montague said, 'Evil flourishes when good men (and women) remain silent.'
Dr. Martin Luther King said, 'Peace is not the absence of tension. It is the presence of justice.'
So as we approach the summer solstice, I encourage you to open your heart to the natural beauty of the world, look into the eyes of those you love, and raise your voice - fiercely and compassionately. One by one, we can create a quantum shift. Let's get going, folks!
July 28, 2014
JUSTICE FOR ALL
Here in the province of New Brunswick, we are on the front lines of the fracking issue. It appears that there is one rule of law for the fracking company (SWN in this case) and another for the citizens of New Brunswick. Read on.
It has come to my attention that SWN has already broken the New Brunswick Oil and Natural Gas Act.
In July 2013, SWN drilled several 'shot holes' for seismic testing lines in remote areas of woods near Rogersville. A shot hole is drilled into the earth, an explosive charge is detonated, and the ensuing seismic vibrations are used to check for shale gas deposits. One of the more serious potential environmental risks is the piercing of aquifers, or bodies of permeable rock that can contain or transmit the groundwater that fills our wells, providing clean drinking water.
In July 2013, SWN drilled several 'shot holes' for seismic testing lines in remote areas of woods near Rogersville. A shot hole is drilled into the earth, an explosive charge is detonated, and the ensuing seismic vibrations are used to check for shale gas deposits. One of the more serious potential environmental risks is the piercing of aquifers, or bodies of permeable rock that can contain or transmit the groundwater that fills our wells, providing clean drinking water.
The New Brunswick Oil and Natural Gas Act, details procedural steps to take if an aquifer is ever pierced, including whole sub-sections related to what industry is mandated to do when such an accident occurs.
SWN’s seismic testing did pierce an aquifer. Local citizens alerted Minister Craig Leonard, from the Dept. of Energy and Mines, who did nothing to remedy the situation. By December of 2013, the aquifer had still not been repaired, and a substantial amount of water, along with a greasy, chemical substance, continued leaking onto the forest floor. As of July 1, 2014, the aquifer had still not been repaired.
The Alward government promises that the shale gas industry will be regulated by the 'toughest regulations in North America', and that our ground water supplies will be protected. But if no action is taken when the regulations are breached, they are not worth the paper they are written on. This incident clearly shows that, even in the testing phase, significant environmental damage can occur.
Based on its actions, how can we trust SWN to do the right thing in the months and years to come? How can our government?
I find it ironic that citizens are footing the bill for our RCMP to contain demonstrators, and yet no rule of law is applied to SWN when it clearly violates the New Brunswick Oil and Natural Gas Act.
SWN’s seismic testing did pierce an aquifer. Local citizens alerted Minister Craig Leonard, from the Dept. of Energy and Mines, who did nothing to remedy the situation. By December of 2013, the aquifer had still not been repaired, and a substantial amount of water, along with a greasy, chemical substance, continued leaking onto the forest floor. As of July 1, 2014, the aquifer had still not been repaired.
The Alward government promises that the shale gas industry will be regulated by the 'toughest regulations in North America', and that our ground water supplies will be protected. But if no action is taken when the regulations are breached, they are not worth the paper they are written on. This incident clearly shows that, even in the testing phase, significant environmental damage can occur.
Based on its actions, how can we trust SWN to do the right thing in the months and years to come? How can our government?
I find it ironic that citizens are footing the bill for our RCMP to contain demonstrators, and yet no rule of law is applied to SWN when it clearly violates the New Brunswick Oil and Natural Gas Act.
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