In Defense of The Commons: Katamai National Park

Taken from Wikipedia:

The Commons: are a subset of public goods; specifically meaning a public good which is not infinite. Commons can therefore be land, rivers and, arguably, money. The Commons is most often a finite but replenishable resource, which requires responsible use in order to remain available. A subset of this is a commons which requires not only responsible use but also active contribution from its users, such as a school or church funded by local donations.

The concept of the Commons, as we understand it today, derives from England. It is based on the idea, that a community of people, the metaphorical signers of the Social Contract, can share access to plots of land for community and individual use. In earlier times such rights were considered self evident for things like grazing, hunting, and estovers. The Commons now manifest itself in our highways and above all our National Parks.

Using the Hobbesian concept of centralized control and administration The NPS has provided a haven for Americans and visitors alike. It is a shame that these resources are being squandered and starved for funding, as Theodore Roosevelt noted:

"it is also vandalism wantonly to destroy or to permit the destruction of what is beautiful in nature, whether it be a cliff, a forest, or a species of mammal or bird. Here in the United States we turn our rivers and streams into sewers and dumping-grounds, we pollute the air, we destroy forests, and exterminate fishes, birds and mammals -- not to speak of vulgarizing charming landscapes with hideous advertisements. But at last it looks as if our people were awakening."

With that in mind the National Parks Conservation Association asks for all Americans to understand the deeper meaning found in this e-mail:

Katmai Bears Caught in the Crossfire
(Click Here For Petition Text)
The Katmai bear population is one of the most photographed wildlife species in the world. Thousands of visitors flock to Alaska each year to catch a glimpse of these bears in their natural habitat. How would you feel if you traveled to Alaska to capture that incredible image and those bears were nowhere to be seen? The Alaska Board of Game is allowing brown bears to be hunted beyond what is sustainable in Katmai National Preserve--and they are set to open 95,000 acres of land in Katmai National Park to bear hunting for the first time in almost 22 years. Without a change to existing bear hunting regulations, the population will continue to decline. And the photographs will be all that’s left. Ensure that the bears continue to have a protected habitat--and that you can continue to view them. Take action!

This is not about one individual species of plant or tree. It is about something greater than that, greater than ourselves. If we are the stewards of this land, then defense of the Commons and those that inhabit it. It is the single greatest calling We The People have. I end this with yet another quote from President Theodore Roosevelt.

"It is not what we have that will make us a great nation; it is the way in which we use it."

Grist on Shrub's Alter-Fuel Policy

Shrub wants the U.S. to use more alternate fuels. Just like his, incomprehensible and Tourette's inspired, SOTU last year; we learned about the wonders of switch grass (and the evils of animal-human hybrids, still WTF?). This year tar sands, nookular, and coal head the list. Sound alternative and clean? Yeah its like buying surgical equipment from Pig-Pen's Pharmacy in Peanuts land.
The premier environmental blog Grist sets the record straight. However this quote sums it up nicely:

National Environmental Trust President Philip Clapp summed up the collective national sigh thusly: "There is no revolution in global-warming policy in anything the president is proposing, no matter how the White House tries to spin it."

Read the whole article by clicking here

OH PLEASE!!!

Pharyngula brought this piece of idiocy to my attention. Here is a sample:

"Condoms don't belong in school, and neither does Al Gore. He's not a schoolteacher," said Frosty Hardison, a parent of seven who also said that he believes the Earth is 14,000 years old. "The information that's being presented is a very cockeyed view of what the truth is. ... The Bible says that in the end times everything will burn up, but that perspective isn't in the DVD."

Click here for the rest

Petition Pimping: Big Oil Targets Alaska

Protect Wildlife in Bristol Bay from Oil Drilling
I am writing to urge you to keep the moratorium on drilling in Alaska's Bristol Bay.

The Bristol Bay is home to the threatened Steller Sea Lion and critical habitat for the endangered Northern Pacific Right Whale -- a creature still recovering from centuries of whaling. It is also the world's largest Sockeye Salmon run and brings in $500 million annually in snow crab, cod, sole and other commercial fisheries.

After the disastrous Exxon Valdez oil spill, your father, President George H. W. Bush, wisely placed a moratorium on drilling in these waters. Lifting this moratorium -- as you seem to be planning -- would threaten wildlife in this precious part of the Pacific, including valuable fisheries vital to the economy.

The short-term gains brought by new leasing in these sensitive waters do not out-weigh the risk of long-term damage from any potential disaster that comes with oil drilling.

It is time to go beyond fossil fuels and reach for a cleaner, safer energy future, bolstered by alternative energy sources and greater energy efficiency.

Please do not lift the moratorium on oil exploration and drilling in one of our most precious and valuable places.

(Click Here For Petition )