This outgrowth from our feeling of empowerment is one that came up yesterday as we discussed the treasures of the ancient world that appear in our museums, ‘collected’ or looted from the world at large as we in the west ramble about taking whatever pops up. Like the Taliban exploding statues of the Buddha that graced Afghanistan for aeons, we take ownership of treasures that aren’t ours, and our world diminishes around us.

Federal scientists have concluded that we’ve just come through the warmest six months, the warmest year, and the warmest decade in human history. Nineteen nations have set new all-time temperature records; the mercury in Pakistan reached 129 degrees, the hottest temperature ever seen in Asia. And there’s nothing abstract about those numbers, not with Moscow choking on smoke from its epic heat wave and fires, not with Pakistan half washed away from its unprecedented flooding.

Today, Greenpeace announced that our citizens’ inspection of the Kuehne Chemical plant near New York City in South Kearny, NJ showed that the two million pounds of Chlorine gas on site puts up to 12 million people in the New York area at risk.

President Obama asked yesterday “whose ass to kick” over the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. I have a few ideas.
By Philip Radford, Executive Director of Greenpeace USA

Today, Nestle announced that it will “focus on the systematic identification and exclusion of companies owning or managing high risk plantations or farms linked to deforestation” and “ensure that its products have no deforestation footprint.” And for today, Greenpeace will commend Nestle on its commitments. Now comes the real work – changing its practices.

Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) and Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT), though down one man, finally released their stab at climate legislation this week. One of the most crucial sections in the bill covers off-shore oil drilling, an issue that was supposed to help solve the tricky math of reaching 60 votes. But since the Deepwater Horizon rig sank in the Gulf of Mexico, drilling has become a wedge issue.

Mary Landrieu and David Vitter, the two Senators from Louisiana, speak out in favor of continuing oil drilling as the Horizon oil slick threatens their state’s environment and livelihood. Lieberman backs them up from his perch in the Senate. Pelosi signals no resistance from the vaunted House Democratic majority.

The political games worsen as the spill continues uncontrollably. BP has constructed a rusty, four-story steel box to deal with the disaster brought on by its 350 million dollar oil rig.

Mass media, industry, and Washington, DC have begun their inevitable hysteria and gamesmanship as the Horizon slick steadily grows and threatens more and more of the Gulf coast.

The world appears to have finally woken up to the vast and steadily growing disaster that is the Deepwater Horizon spill. We are seeing the start of a slow-motion replay of the Exxon Valdez disaster.