To the university students, the youth, and others who are protesting what many believe to be an unjust war aimed at the Palestinian people, and the profiting of the military industrial complex on the death of the innocent. Bravo! But our oceans are dying, the icecaps are melting, the permafrost is thawing, sea level is rising, millions will be displaced and die, and corporations are profiting. We are killing our Mother Earth—where are the protests for her? Why are you not out fighting for her survival, for the survival of all sentient beings?
Wake up, our Mother needs you.
Patrick McGibney
Los Osos
This article appears in Best of SLO County 2024.
Patrick,
I understand that your shtick is to play the environmentalist at every turn (even if often using false information to make your point at public meetings), but if you took a look around, there are high profile protests about the environment happening across the world. There are almost weekly demonstrations against oil corporations, natural gas fracking, highway expansions, and greenhouse gas emissions. In our own backyard two weeks ago a large group of youth gathered to protest the Dana Reserve project; two days worth of people took time out of their days to voice their opinions of it as well. But you know this, you are extremely involved in environmental activism and are a vocal person in the community about it. Putting down youth because you feel their protests against the ongoing attack on Palestinian citizens is not important is a terrible look. People will not ever stand by your side in social movements if you don’t stand by their side. Multiple issues affect our lives and the lives of those less fortunate than us, we should be supportive of those who feel so passionately to take a stand against injustice, it is their right to do so. So again, I understand you are angry that the youth aren’t 100% aligned with you, but speaking down about their protests will do you no good.
Thank you for your thoughts Patrick. I hear your call for Mother Earth and I know that it comes from a place of deep love and years of environmental activism.
There is much interconnectedness between peace, saving the planet and environmental justice. The environmental consequences of weapons production, development, and testing are well documented and of course, how militaries store and finally dispose of munitions and other toxic waste is another contributing factor to environmental damage. The U.S. military is responsible for 69% of the super fund environmental disaster sites in the United States (of which 70% is located within a mile of public housing), and is the third leading polluter of US waterways. A Pentagon report released in March 2018 details widespread chemical poisoning of water supplies on military bases and in surrounding communities worldwide. Military exercises with live ammunition frequently result in fires, deforestation, cratering, and wildlife loss. The US Department of Defense is the single largest industrial fossil fuel pollutor in the world. Much more can be said about environmental destruction from landmines, use of uranium, nuclear arms, bombing campaigns, such as the one taking place in Gaza now, and the use of other weapons of mass destruction and other military activities paid for by the US taxpayers. Advocating for ceasefires anywhere, for disclosure of university contracts with suppliers to the military, for university divestment from military contractors and demilitarization of campuses is speaking up for Mother Earth.
With much respect,
Dolores
NT: its not GLOBAL WARMING…its just a Hot Flash. btw…the dirty little secret:theres not much we can do about it.