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Thursday, September 23, 2010
News / Biz Jobs, jobs, jobs ... but what about the environment?
Posted By Rhiannon Fionn-Bowman on Thu, Sep 23, 2010 at 9:16 AM
It's true: Without a job it's difficult to survive in today's world. But, where would we be without clean water? And, what about our air quality? (Today is yet another code-orange day, by the way.) What about the forests? What about wildlife? Shouldn't we strive to protect all of these things, not only for our benefit, but for the benefit of future generations? Because money, as you know, can only buy so much.
Given its abundant resources and its concerns about pollution, North Carolina has a lot at stake when it comes to environmental protection, but issues concerning the protection of earth, air, water and wildlife are being forced backstage this election cycle, some environmentalists say.Jim Warren, head of the environmental activist group NC Warn, said environmental issues are less prominent than in past years even though climate change is making the situation more dire than ever.
“There’s extremely solid evidence that we are in a planetary emergency and it’s not on the front burner. It should be being discussed at the local, state and federal level,” Warren said.
Sam Swartz, a spokesman for the U.S. Senate campaign of Elaine Marshall, said Marshall, a Democrat, has received endorsements from environmentalists, but their issues have largely been eclipsed by economic concerns.
“This election is about the economy and jobs,” Swartz said. “It’s what the election has to focus on.”
Read the rest of this American Independent article, by Ned Barnett, here.
One of my UNC Charlotte professors introduced me to the concept of "deep ecology," which asserts that the earth isn't just here for humans to conquer — it's here for all of God's creatures. He shared this video with my class, and I'd like to share it with you. Enjoy:
Rhiannon "Rhi" Bowman is an independent journalist who contributes snarky commentary on Creative Loafing's CLog blog four days a week in addition to writing for several other local media organizations. She will be a guest on WFAE's "Charlotte Talks" program Sept. 23rd where she'll discuss coal ash. She'll also be live-Tweeting from TEDxCharlotte Sept. 24. Additionally, she's on the steering committee for the Greater Charlotte Society of Professional Journalists. To learn more, click the links or follow Rhi on Twitter.
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