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Activism See other Activism Articles Title: The environmental revolution will surpass that of our technological evolution: One of our best solutions is to end prohibition The environmental revolution will surpass that of our technological evolution: One of our best solutions is to end prohibition As William McDonough has stated, as a species our ultimate goal should be “a delightfully diverse, safe, healthy, and just world, with clean air, soil, water, and power -- economically, equitably, ecologically, and elegantly enjoyed, period.” The simple fact is, even though it is our technological evolution that is bringing about an economic metamorphosis that we see manifesting itself as a global financial crisis, it will be the environmental revolution forcing our civilization to implement the concept of sustainability that will finally transform our society. The present course that we are on does not have a future, or should I say, does not end well for us, since there will always be a future, irrelevant of our presence. What we have to learn is to accept that we are part of nature, therefore we have no choice but to work and exist in harmony with nature – with ourselves. This requires of us to learn from, and to use what nature provides, without destroying the source. We must learn to learn from the natural world. For decades, if not centuries, we have treated the world as a garbage dump. The damage we have done has been devastating, and the repercussions unimaginable. From the disappearance of the bees to plastic waste vortex’s in the oceans, our ecological footprint is destroying everything. We must learn that the accumulation of monetary assets is not our ultimate purpose. This means that our current economic system needs to be modified to use what nature provides. One of the best ways that we can stop our war against nature and begin our metamorphosis towards an economically sustainable existence is by saving our forests. A recent report from the Oxford-based Global Canopy Programme has stated that while the transport and industry sector accounts for 14 percent of global CO2 emissions, deforestation accounts for up to 25 per cent of greenhouse gasses released into the atmosphere. The urgency implied in the statistics presented in this report can not be over emphasized. Deforestation "in the next four years alone”, will “pump more CO2 into the atmosphere than every flight in the history of aviation to at least 2025… According to the latest audited figures from 2003, two billion tons of CO2 enters the atmosphere every year from deforestation. That destruction amounts to 50 million acres - or an area the size of England, Wales and Scotland felled annually.” The report states that to help stop global warming “the political will and a system of enforcement and incentives” are required that make “trees worth more to governments and individuals standing than felled.” However, this is extremely shortsighted, since our consumption of paper can not be curtailed in time to save the environment, especially considering that “for every 100 pounds of trash we throw away, 35 pounds is paper.” This problem is even further exasperated by the propaganda being produced by the pulp and paper industry. These corporations continually release reports claiming that forests are a renewable resource and that they are “committed to recovering 50% of all the paper Americans use.” A fifty percent return rate means that we are on a fast track to destruction, especially if you consider that casinos make billions of dollars annually by having slot machine return rates as high as 98-99%. The minimum legal payout percentage for slot machines in “Nevada is 75 percent and in New Jersey is 83 percent.” This means that if we apply the same legal standards that bankrupts millions of people around the world to the pulp and paper industry, they would be considered thieves and immediately put out of business. So why are we allowing this shortsightedness to destroy the environment and the future of generations to come? Unfortunately our corporate governments are just as guilty of producing misleading propaganda, maintaining the status quo. The US government has even created a children’s websites claiming that for every tree that is cut down “another is planted to replace it”, conveniently forgetting to mention that a sapling does not have the same environmental benefits as a large tree and that it may take decades for it to reach maturity, if it even reaches maturity. Their claim that “paper companies plant trees specifically for papermaking, much like an apple farmer grows apple trees to produce apples” even becomes more absurd when you consider that afforestation is only a historically recent practice. There is however a solution to our environmental dilemma but it must be implemented immediately to reduce CO2 emissions, allowing the environment ample time to rejuvenate before we reach the point of no return. The solution is hemp, a variant species of cannabis, and its use is as old as civilization itself. It is important to remember that the United States of America initiated the global war on hemp in the “early parts of the 20th century.” It was a multi faceted program geared to increase profits for the oil and the pulp and paper industries, and to create a two-tear socioeconomic system. Propaganda and coercion were used to manipulate world opinion into accepting this agenda. These tactics were and are frighteningly similar to those used to wage war in the Middle East, and unfortunately with the help of the media the United States has been able to, until recently, criminalize the production of hemp. Post Comment Private Reply Ignore Thread
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