Friday, November 28, 2008
ENDGAME - Eugenics/ Population Control - Pt. 2/5
"ENDGAME: BLUEPRINT FOR GLOBAL ENSLAVEMENT"For the New World Order, a world government is just the beginning. Once in place they can engage their plan to exterminate 80% of the world's population, while enabling the "elites" to live forever with the aid of advanced technology. Crusading filmmaker ALEX JONES reveals their co-opting of the environmental and conservation movements. read more
Report: Two degrees warmer and we'll lose Greenland's ice
A less than two degree Celsius rise in global temperatures might be sufficient to spark a meltdown of the Greenland Ice Sheet and Arctic sea ice, the WWF warned in a new study released Thursday. Kim Carstensen, WWF Global Climate Initiative leader said:
"Responsible politicians cannot dare to waste another second on delaying tactics in the face of these urgent warnings from nature."
Voters acted against their self-interest by permitting a corrupt, greenwashing, under-investigation, developer-enabler office holder the 39th Assembly District seat in California over a tested community organizer, Jack Lindblad in the recent election. read more
"Responsible politicians cannot dare to waste another second on delaying tactics in the face of these urgent warnings from nature."
Voters acted against their self-interest by permitting a corrupt, greenwashing, under-investigation, developer-enabler office holder the 39th Assembly District seat in California over a tested community organizer, Jack Lindblad in the recent election. read more
Thursday, November 27, 2008
California hell bent on rebuilding despite wildfire risk
The disconnect between the policy of greenwashing promoted by Governor Schwarzenegger and the prudent public policy of land-use development not adjacent to forest areas is glaring. Many displaced residents, whether they inhabited humble mobile homes or opulent mansions, are bent on rebuilding neighborhoods on the outer fringes of urban areas. read more
Sunday, November 23, 2008
How the Rich Are Destroying the Earth
There is an emergency. In less than a decade we will have to change course, but there are a few major obstacles blocking the way. read more
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Life as we know it is racing toward extinction
What would you do if you knew societal and ecological collapse was going to end life as we know it in 20-40 years? And how do you think a lot of other people will do? To do nothing is not on the table.
Forty percent of the earth's total resources have been extinguished by human activity.
Extinct or speeding toward complete extinction: Coral Reefs, Rain Forests, Human Habitat near Seas, 1/3 of all plant and animal species over the past 30 years, 1/3 of all remaining plant and animal species by 2050, 90% of ocean surface fishing.
Revealing the local water crisis confronting the Los Angeles community
Without the Mono Basin, Owens Valley, Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (all with reduced or no water stream flow forecast) and with the Colorado River being under a 500-year drought, a spector exists for a potential net out-migration of 16-17 million people without water and who must find and build new cities near adequate water.
Los Angeles County flood control engineers estimated upwards of 80 percent of storm-water percolated to groundwater prior to the concretizing of our natural river systems. Only 8 percent of rainfall in urbanized areas now recharges the groundwater, the rest along with urban contaminants flow to the ocean via the channelized streams.
Before suburban sprawl, the Tujunga/Pacoima Watershed was a major contributor of groundwater supply feeding the San Fernando Groundwater Basin—a natural underground reservoir that has become depleted over the years as most of the valley floor became impervious.
A third of LA County's total water recharge is attributed to snow-melt, and rainwater runoff which is collected in the upper watershed by Pacoima and Big Tujunga dams and infiltrated along the Pacoima and Tujunga Washes - comprising the total local surface water infiltrated to groundwater in Los Angeles County between 2003 and 2006.
Currently less than 15 percent of the water supply for the City of Los Angeles comes from local native groundwater. The other 85 percent is imported from distant sources via a delivery system that costs a significant percentage of our total statewide energy bill.
Revitalizing the Tujunga/Pacoima Watershed is key to a local solution of the Los Angeles water crisis
The two Upper Los Angeles River Area groundwater basins (San Fernando and Sylmar) are at a tiny fraction of capacity - with almost no infiltration. Impervious paving and long-term contamination have denied needed recharge to the basins.
If one-half the urbanized lower watershed is reclaimed to it's historic, natural state - using current landscape design methods (with 'Green Streets', non-polluting transportation modes and point sources) and advanced recycled water technologies, potable groundwater could be boosted five-fold or 75% of the city water supply. To insure a safe water supply, the US Environmental Protection Agency and the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board have announced that Honeywell International, Inc. has recently begun construction of a wellhead treatment system for chromium in the North Hollywood region of the San Fernando Valley - Area 1 Superfund Site.
State and municipal declarations of drought will require reduction in water demand (particularly for landscape irrigation), expanded conservation and re-use programs, exploration of other water supply options, and increased reliance on local supplies. Climate shift implications for neighborhood councils have to do with being frugal, making sacrifices, planting and cultivating community gardens as neighborhood festival, being able to recreate by hiking, bicycling, riding a horse from our homes in the lower watersheds to the upper watersheds in the Angeles National Forest - in the process getting ourselves weened off the oil-based transportation infrastructure, weaned off the power grid by decentralized solar, solar-thermal, wind, and on-site waste recycling systems.
In a report just released by the U.S. Department of Energy that analyzed a scenario in which 20 percent of the nation's electricity is generated from wind power by the year 2030, the DOE noted that such a shift would reduce water use by approximately 8 percent. That's a significant savings, roughly equal to the average share of western water withdrawals claimed by urban users.
Then what would one do or advocate now given the impending urgency? Urban planning and design must be ordered by the watershed. One needs to insure that survival of civitas will be dependent on having local production of and access to (work, food, water, energy, shelter, goods, health care, education, culture). Bio-regional determinism (effected by this process of relocalization) will develop and define the watershed as the basic political governing, economic, social, cultural and currency unit where the grassroots govern from the bottom up.
Removing developers and politicians from the built-form development decision process
Payola politics between developers and politicians casts a blight on grassroots community development.
Removing developers and politicians from the land-use decision-making process is key to mitigating climate change-caused environmental degradation on the neighborhood level.
Once developers and politicians are divorced from the decision-making process of where, how much and what to build, gentrification fueled by payola politics will cease to block and counter the public interest, permitting a revitalized Tujunga-Pacoima Watershed to answer a sizable portion of the City of Los Angeles water needs as a localized solution to our water crisis.
Prudent land-use policy does not promote sprawl. Political opportunism must be dead-ended, as such was the misguided recent effort to gut and amend defeated legislation, in which the elected office holder accepted a developer's campaign donation in return for allowing the same developer to sponsor Assembly Bill 212 (to limit the municipal powers of the City of Los Angeles to control land use) favoring the same developer whose sprawling 229 single-family home Tujunga project would benefit from the legislation.
Respecting and seeing a renaissance of the watershed's carrying capacity presents a powerful argument for neighborhood empowerment to reject payola politics: the greed and corporate-personhood of the developer greasing the skids by writing the legislation, then profiteering from that legislation, after paying the politician, with both the developer and the compromised politician threatening, exhorting and coercing the constituency to share their viewpoints with bureaucratic layers of immunity provided by the one-party town politic.
Surely, once payola politics borne of a tryst between politician and developer is extinguished, dialog of communitas in the public forum around aesthetic, life-safety, and other community impacts will resurge and negotiation between all concerns will be voiced, but the nature of bio-regional determinacy will leave the decision-making about restricting sensitive, ecologically vital land areas from urbanization up to a map generating process of overlaying various map overlays of hydrologic, ground water recharge, riparian, chaparral, flora, fauna, woodland, forest, geologic, landslide-prone, seismic off-limits-to-urbanization preserves to be maintained for the overall carrying-capacity of the watershed.
Without human intervention, an emergent composite will reveal those least ecologically sensitive areas remaining as suitable for green-collar, 100% renewable energy source economic and built-form development.
Once crass developer payola-inspired politics are removed from the State Legislature, California can proceed to mitigate and cope with global warming and act to pull the human species back from the precipice of extinction. Payola politics does not allow adequate funding to restore our watershed and provide for a relocalization of our unsustainable, failed global economy based on the local production of food, energy, and goods and the local development of currency, governance and culture.
Reuse, reduce, repair, recycle, restore – have to replace the one-party town payola mantra of denial, distraction, disruption, distortion, and diversion.
Healthy watershed means healthy neighborhood means no payola politics.
- Mr Lindblad is running for State Assembly in our 39th District, has anchored his 26 year planning and architecture practice in the San Fernando Valley with his work being recognized for excellence and innovation. Mr Lindblad is also a long time Community Activist in the San Fernando Valley who is dedicated to protecting the environment, co-author and presenter of the award-winning Panorama City Commercial Area Revitalization Study which was codified into Los Angeles City Planning ordinance. He has given support to the formation of Panorama City and Valley Glen Neighborhood Councils.
Forty percent of the earth's total resources have been extinguished by human activity.
Extinct or speeding toward complete extinction: Coral Reefs, Rain Forests, Human Habitat near Seas, 1/3 of all plant and animal species over the past 30 years, 1/3 of all remaining plant and animal species by 2050, 90% of ocean surface fishing.
Without an immediate and absolute cessation of mankind-produced greenhouse gases, irreversible Climate Shift-caused ocean-level rise, ice cap and glacial melt, accelerating desertification and rising temperatures are making the middle latitudes (such as Los Angeles County) too hot to be habitable by 2104.
According to a Los Angeles Times article on October 31, 2008, "State water deliveries could be slashed next year if California continues its dry streak, a move that could lead to widespread rationing. California Department of Water Resources officials Thursday said water agencies could get as little as 15% of their State Water Project allocations..."
Revealing the local water crisis confronting the Los Angeles community
Without the Mono Basin, Owens Valley, Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (all with reduced or no water stream flow forecast) and with the Colorado River being under a 500-year drought, a spector exists for a potential net out-migration of 16-17 million people without water and who must find and build new cities near adequate water.
Los Angeles County flood control engineers estimated upwards of 80 percent of storm-water percolated to groundwater prior to the concretizing of our natural river systems. Only 8 percent of rainfall in urbanized areas now recharges the groundwater, the rest along with urban contaminants flow to the ocean via the channelized streams.
Before suburban sprawl, the Tujunga/Pacoima Watershed was a major contributor of groundwater supply feeding the San Fernando Groundwater Basin—a natural underground reservoir that has become depleted over the years as most of the valley floor became impervious.
A third of LA County's total water recharge is attributed to snow-melt, and rainwater runoff which is collected in the upper watershed by Pacoima and Big Tujunga dams and infiltrated along the Pacoima and Tujunga Washes - comprising the total local surface water infiltrated to groundwater in Los Angeles County between 2003 and 2006.
Currently less than 15 percent of the water supply for the City of Los Angeles comes from local native groundwater. The other 85 percent is imported from distant sources via a delivery system that costs a significant percentage of our total statewide energy bill.
Revitalizing the Tujunga/Pacoima Watershed is key to a local solution of the Los Angeles water crisis
The two Upper Los Angeles River Area groundwater basins (San Fernando and Sylmar) are at a tiny fraction of capacity - with almost no infiltration. Impervious paving and long-term contamination have denied needed recharge to the basins.
If one-half the urbanized lower watershed is reclaimed to it's historic, natural state - using current landscape design methods (with 'Green Streets', non-polluting transportation modes and point sources) and advanced recycled water technologies, potable groundwater could be boosted five-fold or 75% of the city water supply. To insure a safe water supply, the US Environmental Protection Agency and the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board have announced that Honeywell International, Inc. has recently begun construction of a wellhead treatment system for chromium in the North Hollywood region of the San Fernando Valley - Area 1 Superfund Site.
State and municipal declarations of drought will require reduction in water demand (particularly for landscape irrigation), expanded conservation and re-use programs, exploration of other water supply options, and increased reliance on local supplies. Climate shift implications for neighborhood councils have to do with being frugal, making sacrifices, planting and cultivating community gardens as neighborhood festival, being able to recreate by hiking, bicycling, riding a horse from our homes in the lower watersheds to the upper watersheds in the Angeles National Forest - in the process getting ourselves weened off the oil-based transportation infrastructure, weaned off the power grid by decentralized solar, solar-thermal, wind, and on-site waste recycling systems.
In a report just released by the U.S. Department of Energy that analyzed a scenario in which 20 percent of the nation's electricity is generated from wind power by the year 2030, the DOE noted that such a shift would reduce water use by approximately 8 percent. That's a significant savings, roughly equal to the average share of western water withdrawals claimed by urban users.
Then what would one do or advocate now given the impending urgency? Urban planning and design must be ordered by the watershed. One needs to insure that survival of civitas will be dependent on having local production of and access to (work, food, water, energy, shelter, goods, health care, education, culture). Bio-regional determinism (effected by this process of relocalization) will develop and define the watershed as the basic political governing, economic, social, cultural and currency unit where the grassroots govern from the bottom up.
Removing developers and politicians from the built-form development decision process
Payola politics between developers and politicians casts a blight on grassroots community development.
Removing developers and politicians from the land-use decision-making process is key to mitigating climate change-caused environmental degradation on the neighborhood level.
Once developers and politicians are divorced from the decision-making process of where, how much and what to build, gentrification fueled by payola politics will cease to block and counter the public interest, permitting a revitalized Tujunga-Pacoima Watershed to answer a sizable portion of the City of Los Angeles water needs as a localized solution to our water crisis.
Prudent land-use policy does not promote sprawl. Political opportunism must be dead-ended, as such was the misguided recent effort to gut and amend defeated legislation, in which the elected office holder accepted a developer's campaign donation in return for allowing the same developer to sponsor Assembly Bill 212 (to limit the municipal powers of the City of Los Angeles to control land use) favoring the same developer whose sprawling 229 single-family home Tujunga project would benefit from the legislation.
Respecting and seeing a renaissance of the watershed's carrying capacity presents a powerful argument for neighborhood empowerment to reject payola politics: the greed and corporate-personhood of the developer greasing the skids by writing the legislation, then profiteering from that legislation, after paying the politician, with both the developer and the compromised politician threatening, exhorting and coercing the constituency to share their viewpoints with bureaucratic layers of immunity provided by the one-party town politic.
Surely, once payola politics borne of a tryst between politician and developer is extinguished, dialog of communitas in the public forum around aesthetic, life-safety, and other community impacts will resurge and negotiation between all concerns will be voiced, but the nature of bio-regional determinacy will leave the decision-making about restricting sensitive, ecologically vital land areas from urbanization up to a map generating process of overlaying various map overlays of hydrologic, ground water recharge, riparian, chaparral, flora, fauna, woodland, forest, geologic, landslide-prone, seismic off-limits-to-urbanization preserves to be maintained for the overall carrying-capacity of the watershed.
Without human intervention, an emergent composite will reveal those least ecologically sensitive areas remaining as suitable for green-collar, 100% renewable energy source economic and built-form development.
Once crass developer payola-inspired politics are removed from the State Legislature, California can proceed to mitigate and cope with global warming and act to pull the human species back from the precipice of extinction. Payola politics does not allow adequate funding to restore our watershed and provide for a relocalization of our unsustainable, failed global economy based on the local production of food, energy, and goods and the local development of currency, governance and culture.
Reuse, reduce, repair, recycle, restore – have to replace the one-party town payola mantra of denial, distraction, disruption, distortion, and diversion.
Healthy watershed means healthy neighborhood means no payola politics.
- Mr Lindblad is running for State Assembly in our 39th District, has anchored his 26 year planning and architecture practice in the San Fernando Valley with his work being recognized for excellence and innovation. Mr Lindblad is also a long time Community Activist in the San Fernando Valley who is dedicated to protecting the environment, co-author and presenter of the award-winning Panorama City Commercial Area Revitalization Study which was codified into Los Angeles City Planning ordinance. He has given support to the formation of Panorama City and Valley Glen Neighborhood Councils.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Financial meltdown offers opportunities for green economic growth
With financial markets world-wide frozen and if failed political governance is held to account, opportunities now are beckoning for a environmentally sustainable, regulated, green-collar, solar-thermal, carbon and resource tax-based economy to emerge. read more
Financial meltdown offers opportunities for green economic growth (entire article)
Current measures attempting to stem Wall Street hemorrhaging by the Bush regime act to privatize profits and socialize losses. The failed financial markets and broken government want socialism for the rich and capitalism for the poor as patches and fixes. The entire financial structure has evaporated. Credit between banks and businesses vital to expansion and meeting payroll is frozen and curtailed. Rebuilding along the lines of the past greed-based, unregulated laissez-faire markets is not acceptable. Looking at this barren commerce landscape, opportunities now are beckoning for a environmentally sustainable, regulated, green-collar, solar-thermal, carbon and resource tax-based economy to emerge from the wreckage of failed markets, allowing the individual and relocalized communities to survive and prosper, stepping back from the abyss of today's precipice of complete financial, social and ecological ruin dwarfing the 1930's Great Depression.
To avert ever-escalating climate change-caused arctic glacial melt, desertification, drought, extreme weather and wildfires, rising ocean levels, plant and animal extinction, and human settlement dislocation, a collective effort on the scale of a Green New Deal is required immediately. We cannot expect the same financial and political mechanisms who brought us ecological and financial collapse to weigh in our effort to restore our survivability and sustainability. Consuming the planetary ecological services (as if the human species was entitled to use and lay waste to earth's resources) is directly related to unsustainable, unending accumulation of economic wealth that fuels environmental destruction. Conservation and frugality (making sacrifices and taking care of each other) will help define our transition in weaning ourselves off the oil standard and toward a 100% renewable energy economy to mitigate the effects of climate change.
The Federal Reserve's possible response of printing massive amounts of paper currency to infuse the lending system only leads to a deflated currency and runaway price and interest rate hyper-inflation. Once U.S. wealth is vaporized, civil insurrection, food and energy shortages will be met by martial law.
Nationalizing the Federal Reserve must make constituents beneficiaries not causalities of 'bail-out' plans. Today's unregulated economy based on the oil-standard, debt, interest and inflation is fueling skyrocketing prices which makes higher education, buying a house or a loaf of bread unaffordable by anyone. Deregulated markets have led to worthless paper backing securities falsely claimed to have had value by now failed mortgage lenders and security trades such as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, AIG, Lehman Brothers, Bear Stearns (purchased by JP Morgan) all of whom must be held accountable for their full participation in the so-called sub-prime meltdown and provide relief to the millions of homeowners and pensioners unfairly treated by the privatized, unregulated banking industry. Any Congressional economic stimulus bill must be a funded mandate drawing from those responsible for the excesses of unregulated banking and oil concerns and directed toward investments in an economy based on 100% renewable energy source (wind, ocean, tidal, solar, geothermal).
To avert ever-escalating climate change-caused arctic glacial melt, desertification, drought, extreme weather and wildfires, rising ocean levels, plant and animal extinction, and human settlement dislocation, a collective effort on the scale of a Green New Deal is required immediately. We cannot expect the same financial and political mechanisms who brought us ecological and financial collapse to weigh in our effort to restore our survivability and sustainability. Consuming the planetary ecological services (as if the human species was entitled to use and lay waste to earth's resources) is directly related to unsustainable, unending accumulation of economic wealth that fuels environmental destruction. Conservation and frugality (making sacrifices and taking care of each other) will help define our transition in weaning ourselves off the oil standard and toward a 100% renewable energy economy to mitigate the effects of climate change.
The Federal Reserve's possible response of printing massive amounts of paper currency to infuse the lending system only leads to a deflated currency and runaway price and interest rate hyper-inflation. Once U.S. wealth is vaporized, civil insurrection, food and energy shortages will be met by martial law.
Nationalizing the Federal Reserve must make constituents beneficiaries not causalities of 'bail-out' plans. Today's unregulated economy based on the oil-standard, debt, interest and inflation is fueling skyrocketing prices which makes higher education, buying a house or a loaf of bread unaffordable by anyone. Deregulated markets have led to worthless paper backing securities falsely claimed to have had value by now failed mortgage lenders and security trades such as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, AIG, Lehman Brothers, Bear Stearns (purchased by JP Morgan) all of whom must be held accountable for their full participation in the so-called sub-prime meltdown and provide relief to the millions of homeowners and pensioners unfairly treated by the privatized, unregulated banking industry. Any Congressional economic stimulus bill must be a funded mandate drawing from those responsible for the excesses of unregulated banking and oil concerns and directed toward investments in an economy based on 100% renewable energy source (wind, ocean, tidal, solar, geothermal).
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Gang injunction splits a San Fernando Valley community
Some residents in Sylmar and San Fernando support the move, but others believe it criminalizes an entire area. "What is going on here is very unjust. Just because people are scared does not make it right," said Luis Rodriguez, whose home is inside the injunction boundaries. Residents have complained that property values could be hurt. read more
Monday, September 22, 2008
Current 39th Assemblemember Fuentes entangled in campaign committee investigations and community uproar over legislative "gut and amend" deception
There is growing sentiment in the community to call on Mr. Fuentes to resign his legislative seat over the duration of investigations by the Los Angeles Ethics Commission and the Los Angeles County District Attorney - combined with the additional neglect denying the District time and attention normally given to representing the District - now given to attorneys and defense strategies.
Only 16 months ago, after being elected to represent the 39th District, now Los Angeles City Councilmember Richard Alarcon relinquished his Assembly seat after just a few weeks to run for City Council. Community members are weary of having to struggle for representation held hostage by Mr. Fuentes' legislation-authoring developer cronies and his sporadic or diminished representation in Sacramento in these financially and environmentally dire times.
Concerned about the self-aggrandizing musical chair behavior of current office-holders, the electorate will opt to vote for commonly-held grass-root values that I share with the community and elect me to Sacramento.
Only 16 months ago, after being elected to represent the 39th District, now Los Angeles City Councilmember Richard Alarcon relinquished his Assembly seat after just a few weeks to run for City Council. Community members are weary of having to struggle for representation held hostage by Mr. Fuentes' legislation-authoring developer cronies and his sporadic or diminished representation in Sacramento in these financially and environmentally dire times.
Concerned about the self-aggrandizing musical chair behavior of current office-holders, the electorate will opt to vote for commonly-held grass-root values that I share with the community and elect me to Sacramento.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
LA County DA investigates politicians over campaign commitee
State Sen. Alex Padilla and L.A. City Councilman Tony Cardenas are at the center of a probe to determine if they had illegal control of the panel, sources say. The Los Angeles County district attorney has opened an investigation into whether two San Fernando Valley politicians illegally exceeded election spending limits by raising money through an independent campaign committee, sources familiar with the matter said.
Investigators have also been asking questions about Assemblyman Felipe Fuentes (D-Sylmar), who was Padilla's chief of staff in 2005 and 2006 and presently represents part of the Valley. read more
Investigators have also been asking questions about Assemblyman Felipe Fuentes (D-Sylmar), who was Padilla's chief of staff in 2005 and 2006 and presently represents part of the Valley. read more
Assembly Bill 212 and the cozy and deceitful legislative initiative of Felipe Fuentes
Northeast San Fernando Valley Assemblyman Felipe Fuentes, while nobody was watching mainly because he has been so invisible, took steps to strip the City of L.A. and its citizens of their basic right to decide land use issues by letting developers do anything they want like tear down houses and put up apartments. Voters will reject him in November. read more
Larisa Alexandrovna: Welcome to the final stages of the coup
Let me first point you to the Bush administration's so-called Wall Street bailout bill, here http://blogs.wsj.com/economics/2008/09/20/treasurys-financial-bailout-proposal-to-congress/, so that you can see for yourself that this treachery is being conducted in the light of day. Fascism is finally and formally out of the right-wing closet even if the F word is not yet openly being used (although it should be, and often). The door has been opened to Fascism. read more
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Tipping Point Ahead: Wake Up, Freak Out - then Get a Grip
Beautifully made, informative and alarming ten-minute animated film about climate change.
These are extraordinary times. Preventing runaway global warming is the single most important task in all of human history – and it has fallen to us to do it. If we don’t, then everything else we work to achieve in our lives will be destroyed, or become meaningless. Those who came before us didn't know about this problem, and those who come after will be powerless to do anything about it. But for us, there's still time! We'd better get a move on though. read more
These are extraordinary times. Preventing runaway global warming is the single most important task in all of human history – and it has fallen to us to do it. If we don’t, then everything else we work to achieve in our lives will be destroyed, or become meaningless. Those who came before us didn't know about this problem, and those who come after will be powerless to do anything about it. But for us, there's still time! We'd better get a move on though. read more
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
The relocalization process of restoring the Tujunga-Pacoima Watershed
The objectives of restoring the Tujunga-Pacoima Watershed point to a green jobs based economy arrived at by a process of Relocalization involving some key concepts featured in Biologist Jason Bradford's Relocalization: A Strategic Response to Climate Change and Peak Oil:
Relocalization is based on a systems approach that doesn’t solve one set of problems (peak oil) only to make another problem (climate shift) worse.
Relocalization is based on an ethic of protecting the Earth System--or Natural Capital-- knowing that despite our cleverness, human well-being is fundamentally derived from the ecological and geological richness of Earth.
Relocalization starts from the premise that the world is a finite place and that humanity is in a state of overshoot (relying on an oil-based economy and resource consumption levels beyond the planet's carrying capacity). Perpetual growth of the economy and the population is neither possible nor desirable. It is wise to start planning now for a world with less available energy, not more.
While we can’t know future threats precisely, scientists do agree that creating a carbon-cycle neutral economy should be the dominant task occupying our minds. This is exactly what Relocalization aims to do.
Relocalization advocates rebuilding more balanced local economies that emphasize securing basic needs. Local food, energy and water systems are perhaps the most critical to build. In the absence of (past) reliable (but now exhausted) trade partners, whether from peak oil, natural disaster or political instability, a local economy that at least produces its essential goods will have a true comparative advantage.
Relocalization takes a different perspective altogether. Instead of working to keep a system going that has no future, it calls us to develop means of livelihood that pollute as little as possible and that promote local and regional stability. Since much of our pollution results from the distances goods travel, we must shorten distances between production and consumption as much as we can.
Then given the processes involved, What is Relocalization?
Relocalization is based on a systems approach that doesn’t solve one set of problems (peak oil) only to make another problem (climate shift) worse.
Relocalization is based on an ethic of protecting the Earth System--or Natural Capital-- knowing that despite our cleverness, human well-being is fundamentally derived from the ecological and geological richness of Earth.
Relocalization starts from the premise that the world is a finite place and that humanity is in a state of overshoot (relying on an oil-based economy and resource consumption levels beyond the planet's carrying capacity). Perpetual growth of the economy and the population is neither possible nor desirable. It is wise to start planning now for a world with less available energy, not more.
While we can’t know future threats precisely, scientists do agree that creating a carbon-cycle neutral economy should be the dominant task occupying our minds. This is exactly what Relocalization aims to do.
Relocalization advocates rebuilding more balanced local economies that emphasize securing basic needs. Local food, energy and water systems are perhaps the most critical to build. In the absence of (past) reliable (but now exhausted) trade partners, whether from peak oil, natural disaster or political instability, a local economy that at least produces its essential goods will have a true comparative advantage.
Relocalization takes a different perspective altogether. Instead of working to keep a system going that has no future, it calls us to develop means of livelihood that pollute as little as possible and that promote local and regional stability. Since much of our pollution results from the distances goods travel, we must shorten distances between production and consumption as much as we can.
Then given the processes involved, What is Relocalization?
Relocalization is a strategy to build societies based on the local production of food, energy and goods, and the local development of currency, governance and culture. The main goals of Relocalization are to increase community energy security, to strengthen local economies, and to dramatically improve environmental conditions and social equity.
The Relocalization strategy developed in response to the environmental, social, political and economic impacts of global over-reliance on an oil-based economy. Our dependence on once cheap non-renewable fossil fuel energy has produced climate change, the erosion of community, wars for oil-rich land and the instability of the global economic system.
Urban planning and design must be ordered by the watershed. One needs to insure that survival of civitas will be dependent on having close-at-hand access to (work, food, water, energy, shelter, clothing, health care, education, culture). Bio-regional determinism effected by the process of Relocalization will define watersheds as the basic political governing, economic and social units where the grassroots governs from the bottom up.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
State Democrat Pundits Bet on Payola to Win
One-party town, 'payola to the developer,' top-down politics may predict a lock-down win, but his opponent is a long-time architect and grassroots, neighborhood advocate, co-author of the award winning Panorama City Commercial Area Revitalization Study which has spurred pedestrian-friendly remodeling and face-lifting and is the one who has the name recognition and community-based reputation to win with a third of the votes plus one.
Run Jack Run. This contest is one Green Party Jack Lindblad will win!
Run Jack Run. This contest is one Green Party Jack Lindblad will win!
Friday, June 27, 2008
Neighborhoods can help decide the State Assembly Contest
To insure a free and fair election in which each candidate can state their own case to the constituents, the 39th District's neighborhood councils (being grass-root representatives of constituents in the District) are provisioned to step up to the plate and offer forum for dialog with all of the candidates appearing on this November's ballot.
The hallmark of my term in office will be to do the neighborhood's bidding, to be the neighborhood's advocate in Sacramento for sensible growth, driven not by developers, not top-down, but rather from the bottom-up. My long-standing commitment to the community have been proven by my co-authoring and presenting the Panorama City Commercial Area Revitalization Study as approved by City government, assisting the formation of neighborhood councils, and numerous stances to insist developers conform to the community plan.
The issues this year are more pronounced than ever before - but more important, with my campaign getting the word out, the ineptitude of my duopoly opponents, my only opponents - will act in a big way to defeat themselves. The duopoly's all-out assault on working people - as witnessed by no-end-in-sight financial freezes, foreclosures, hikes in fuel, energy and food prices has fractured any voter loyalty to follow the Democrat or Republican. Those who have led us into oblivion cannot be trusted to lead us into our green future. We must 'hike up the mountain,' live closer to the land, conserve and be frugal. The path out of this descent to consumption-driven human extinction will be full of patriotism - making sacrifices, taking care of and sharing each other in the transition off the oil standard and forward to a green-jobs and 100% renewable energy economy.
The current office-holder has proven to be undermining the implementation of AB 1493 (Global Greenhouse Gas Reduction Act) - by not only scandalously allowing developers write their legislation to build more sprawl - but also evidenced by his fence-sitting which defeated Assemblymember Ruskin's 'Feebates' consumer credits given toward the purchase of energy-efficient, small cars from surcharging purchasers of SUVs. His political initiative to advance new small car purchases shows shows only a politically-expedient concern for his small car lobbyist.
Conditions in my Assembly election contest in 2008 are entirely different than most of those past contests which have brought us here. The one-issue message-framing republican will get 20-30%, and the democrat is not independent-thinking, but a freshman who employs payola over the public interest, and who in doing so, raises the ire of neighborhood council activists, other elected political office-holders and the rank-and-file constituent.
The Green Party does not (nor do I) accept donations from corporate entities. We favor banning of all corporatist lobbying and campaign spending with implementation of public financing of elections. Once elected, I will bring the ethical and moral imperatives of the Greens' Ten Key Values to Sacramento.
The hallmark of my term in office will be to do the neighborhood's bidding, to be the neighborhood's advocate in Sacramento for sensible growth, driven not by developers, not top-down, but rather from the bottom-up. My long-standing commitment to the community have been proven by my co-authoring and presenting the Panorama City Commercial Area Revitalization Study as approved by City government, assisting the formation of neighborhood councils, and numerous stances to insist developers conform to the community plan.
The issues this year are more pronounced than ever before - but more important, with my campaign getting the word out, the ineptitude of my duopoly opponents, my only opponents - will act in a big way to defeat themselves. The duopoly's all-out assault on working people - as witnessed by no-end-in-sight financial freezes, foreclosures, hikes in fuel, energy and food prices has fractured any voter loyalty to follow the Democrat or Republican. Those who have led us into oblivion cannot be trusted to lead us into our green future. We must 'hike up the mountain,' live closer to the land, conserve and be frugal. The path out of this descent to consumption-driven human extinction will be full of patriotism - making sacrifices, taking care of and sharing each other in the transition off the oil standard and forward to a green-jobs and 100% renewable energy economy.
The current office-holder has proven to be undermining the implementation of AB 1493 (Global Greenhouse Gas Reduction Act) - by not only scandalously allowing developers write their legislation to build more sprawl - but also evidenced by his fence-sitting which defeated Assemblymember Ruskin's 'Feebates' consumer credits given toward the purchase of energy-efficient, small cars from surcharging purchasers of SUVs. His political initiative to advance new small car purchases shows shows only a politically-expedient concern for his small car lobbyist.
Conditions in my Assembly election contest in 2008 are entirely different than most of those past contests which have brought us here. The one-issue message-framing republican will get 20-30%, and the democrat is not independent-thinking, but a freshman who employs payola over the public interest, and who in doing so, raises the ire of neighborhood council activists, other elected political office-holders and the rank-and-file constituent.
The Green Party does not (nor do I) accept donations from corporate entities. We favor banning of all corporatist lobbying and campaign spending with implementation of public financing of elections. Once elected, I will bring the ethical and moral imperatives of the Greens' Ten Key Values to Sacramento.
Monday, June 2, 2008
Solving the state budget problem: Issues & Green Answers critical to the 39th Assembly District - categorized according to Green Party Ten Key Values
Solving the state budget problem first requires:
ecological wisdom:
To slow global warming and stabilize our biosphere, what is urgently required is nothing less than an all-out effort worthy of last century's New Deal. The Democrats take on 'green collar' jobs is too little too late. As a human species, we must halt global greenhouse gas emissions and develop zero net energy technology; reducing is not enough.
The current officeholder has demonstrated an outright opposition to seriously address implementation of AB 1493 (Global Greenhouse Gas Reduction Act) - as evidenced by his fence-sitting which defeated Assemblymember Ruskin's 'Feebates' consumer credits given toward the purchase of energy-efficient, small cars in addition to surcharging purchasers of SUVs.
-----
Then, to stimulate consumer spending, cut prison spending, while actually increasing education spending:
decentralization:
Seeding a 'green collar' economy to provide for a workforce is imperative to maintain, grow and expand zero net energy building developments, affordable housing and innovate greenhouse gas-reducing technologies. By 'getting off the grid', funding will be manageable for maintaining and improving a smaller, more efficient infrastructure.
social justice, respect for diversity, feminism:
Reduce inflationary spiral on lower income workforce by a phased elimination of state tax on wages and salary and sales tax compensated with a graduated tax rate on gross rents, gross business receipts and resource-based taxes.
I will promote legislation to immediately end immigration raids and deportations. Political initiatives need to link every environmental demand to specific legislation that improves quality of life in our working class district – programs that employ youth in a living wage 'green collar' economic community (to answer challenges which cause gang activity), that create more parkspace (given the prevalent immigrant community's pro-environment health-conscious, wide usage of out-door public spaces and green recreational spaces), that extend opportunities for people to enjoy nature and to participate in green politics, that confront the immorality of a rich state while our children are poor.
The combined tab of nearly $15 billion for prison reform has dismayed lawmakers already faced with a $16 billion budget deficit that has prompted huge proposed cuts in spending on education and health care.
The United States has less than 5 percent of the world's population. But it has almost a quarter of the world's prisoners.
My opponent's legislative initiatives creates more criminal infractions which would expand the already runaway, double-digit billion dollar California Prison-Industrial complex. My green answer is removing jail time for victimless crimes, removal of 'three strikes' and using the expanded education dollar for educative, correction-oriented programs over punishment to reduce the size and uncontrolled spending of the current prison system. Fully fund educational programs, especially those for early childhood. Costs per student are far less than the cost per prisoner in a dysfunctional prison complex.
-----
Eliminate the deficit by stopping the War for Oil in Iraq and reduce military spending everywhere else, pushing Congress for our fair share given the Federal tax contribution - besides closing developer loopholes, seeding a green collar economy, while replacing the present dirty money, corporatist welfare legislation with Clean Money, publicly financed elections allowing single payer healthcare - saving 30% over the current privatized structure. After all, California is the eighth largest economy on the world stage and the actual savings will be immense.
community-based economics:
In an extended period of spiraling downward real estate value and economic depression, the mark of a civilized society would not to eliminate the 16 billion dollar State Budget deficit by closing parks, workforce healthcare programs, and entitlements to the poor, disabled, elderly and children. Instead, curb unsustainable speculative urban sprawl, mansionification through tax incentives by replacing tax on building improvements with tax on land. Change tax policy to close developer loopholes to provide for the common interest and to increase public coffers.
Prudent land-use policy does not promote sprawl. My opponent believes not, by beginning his term in office by gutting and amending defeated legislation, accepting a developer's campaign donation in return for allowing the same developer to sponsor AB 212, his proposed bill (limiting L.A.'s ability to control land use) favored the same developer whose sprawling 229 single-family home Tujunga project would benefit from the legislation. Justifying developers writing state law for their own profit, my opposition claimed the legislation's rationale was to protect developers from NIMBYism.
The move has riled Los Angeles City Council members (voting last month to oppose the state intervention in local land-use decisions), in addition to residents in Tujunga, La Crescenta and Glendale who have banded together to fight the proposed development and preserve the golf course. We need State Representation supportive of the local community. Green Party Member and tested leader in the community, Jack Lindblad provides that support, representing "We, the People" not "We, the Corporation."
Fully fund an expanded number of Tujunga-Pacoima Watershed projects to restore riparian and chaparral areas - especially to clean up contaminated properties (closed landfills, and auto salvage yards) for green space (our lungs), ground-water recharge, potable water (to offset Delta and Colorado River water cutbacks), flood control, recreation, community gardens, horse, bicycling and hiking trails. Convert impervious paved areas to pervious.
Parks and recreation areas foster human development, strengthen public safety and security, promote health and welfare, bolster community self-image and instill a 'sense of place,' promote cultural solidarity, and facilitate community problem-solving.
Maintain the mission of Hansen Dam to protect urban development from flooding and promote small water retention ponds, underground aquifers and cisterns. Establishment of governance based on bioregional-determined ecological conservation, watershed-based economic, political boundaries. By doing so, we begin to answer the shifting Mediterranean regional climate, rising sea levels and temperatures, drought, and water shortage challenging the continued existence of 18 million Southern Californians, while providing this planet with a new model for governance and eco-mindful consumption.
Expand rail and jitney transit to compensate for the required trips now taken by private, gas-consuming vehicles - which will be phased off the roadways.
personal/global responsibility:
The incumbent has amassed an unknown number of 'hidden' campaign committees with unknown amounts of dollars. One might conclude that his legislative initiatives appear to be gestures toward nursing a corporatist money flow into his campaign committee treasuries. My green answer is to promote Clean Money and publicly financed elections to hold elected officials responsible and accountable to the people's interests, not corporate interests so that single-payer health care can save 30% off the cost of providing quality healthcare for all.
(from california budget project)
Who (and How Many People) in our 39th Assembly District Would Be Affected Under the Governor’s Proposed Budget Estimated Impact?
• 3,260 Low-Income Children Who Would Lose Medi-Cal Coverage Due to Increased Paperwork Requirements in 2008-09 - By: 2009-10: 5,940 Children.
• 2,300 Low-Income Children Who Would Lose CalWORKs Cash Assistance Through June 2009.
• 106,570 Low-Income Medi-Cal Recipients Who Would be Affected by Reduced Payments to Medi-Cal Providers and Health Plans - Loss of Funds: $21,616,000.
• 14,330 Low-Income Seniors and Persons with Disabilities Who are Recipients Would be Affected by Suspended State Cost of Living Adjustments (COLAs) for SSI/SSP Grants, June 2008 Through June 2009.
• 13,620 Children Who are Healthy Families Program Recipients Would be Affected by Reduced Payments: - Loss of Funds: $900,000
• 5,340 Low-Income Seniors and Persons with Disabilities Who are Recipients Would be Affected by Reduced Number of Hours Provided for Domestic Services in the In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) Program, 2008-09.
The Governor has proposed substantial reductions to virtually all state-supported services to close the state’s budget gap. The Legislature will consider these proposed reductions and other options during upcoming budget hearings.
Who (and How Many People) in Los Angeles County Would Be Affected by the Governor’s Proposed Budget?
• 1,544,710 students served by Los Angeles County’s public schools. Cuts to five of the largest funding allocations for public schools in the county would equal $670 per student.
• 66,140 low-income children dropped from the CalWORKs Program.
• 418,840 low-income seniors and persons with disabilities who would lose the state cost-of-living adjustment for Supplemental Security Income/State Supplementary Payment cash assistance grants.
• 163,700 low-income seniors and persons with disabilities who would receive fewer hours of services through the In-Home Supportive Services Program.
• 5,170 fewer children enrolled in child care and preschool due to funding cuts to child development programs.
• 61,590 low-income children in 2008-09 – and a total of 112,140 children by 2009-10 – who would lose Medi-Cal coverage due to increased paperwork requirements.
• 2,261,650 low-income Medi-Cal recipients who may have reduced access to health care
services because of payment cuts to health care providers.
• 249,220 children enrolled in the Healthy Families Program, which provides low-cost health coverage for children in low-income working families. The Governor proposes to increase family premium contributions and copayments and reduce dental services.
• Visitors to five state parks in Los Angeles County, which the Governor proposes to close.
ecological wisdom:
To slow global warming and stabilize our biosphere, what is urgently required is nothing less than an all-out effort worthy of last century's New Deal. The Democrats take on 'green collar' jobs is too little too late. As a human species, we must halt global greenhouse gas emissions and develop zero net energy technology; reducing is not enough.
The current officeholder has demonstrated an outright opposition to seriously address implementation of AB 1493 (Global Greenhouse Gas Reduction Act) - as evidenced by his fence-sitting which defeated Assemblymember Ruskin's 'Feebates' consumer credits given toward the purchase of energy-efficient, small cars in addition to surcharging purchasers of SUVs.
-----
Then, to stimulate consumer spending, cut prison spending, while actually increasing education spending:
decentralization:
Seeding a 'green collar' economy to provide for a workforce is imperative to maintain, grow and expand zero net energy building developments, affordable housing and innovate greenhouse gas-reducing technologies. By 'getting off the grid', funding will be manageable for maintaining and improving a smaller, more efficient infrastructure.
social justice, respect for diversity, feminism:
Reduce inflationary spiral on lower income workforce by a phased elimination of state tax on wages and salary and sales tax compensated with a graduated tax rate on gross rents, gross business receipts and resource-based taxes.
I will promote legislation to immediately end immigration raids and deportations. Political initiatives need to link every environmental demand to specific legislation that improves quality of life in our working class district – programs that employ youth in a living wage 'green collar' economic community (to answer challenges which cause gang activity), that create more parkspace (given the prevalent immigrant community's pro-environment health-conscious, wide usage of out-door public spaces and green recreational spaces), that extend opportunities for people to enjoy nature and to participate in green politics, that confront the immorality of a rich state while our children are poor.
The combined tab of nearly $15 billion for prison reform has dismayed lawmakers already faced with a $16 billion budget deficit that has prompted huge proposed cuts in spending on education and health care.
The United States has less than 5 percent of the world's population. But it has almost a quarter of the world's prisoners.
My opponent's legislative initiatives creates more criminal infractions which would expand the already runaway, double-digit billion dollar California Prison-Industrial complex. My green answer is removing jail time for victimless crimes, removal of 'three strikes' and using the expanded education dollar for educative, correction-oriented programs over punishment to reduce the size and uncontrolled spending of the current prison system. Fully fund educational programs, especially those for early childhood. Costs per student are far less than the cost per prisoner in a dysfunctional prison complex.
-----
Eliminate the deficit by stopping the War for Oil in Iraq and reduce military spending everywhere else, pushing Congress for our fair share given the Federal tax contribution - besides closing developer loopholes, seeding a green collar economy, while replacing the present dirty money, corporatist welfare legislation with Clean Money, publicly financed elections allowing single payer healthcare - saving 30% over the current privatized structure. After all, California is the eighth largest economy on the world stage and the actual savings will be immense.
community-based economics:
In an extended period of spiraling downward real estate value and economic depression, the mark of a civilized society would not to eliminate the 16 billion dollar State Budget deficit by closing parks, workforce healthcare programs, and entitlements to the poor, disabled, elderly and children. Instead, curb unsustainable speculative urban sprawl, mansionification through tax incentives by replacing tax on building improvements with tax on land. Change tax policy to close developer loopholes to provide for the common interest and to increase public coffers.
Prudent land-use policy does not promote sprawl. My opponent believes not, by beginning his term in office by gutting and amending defeated legislation, accepting a developer's campaign donation in return for allowing the same developer to sponsor AB 212, his proposed bill (limiting L.A.'s ability to control land use) favored the same developer whose sprawling 229 single-family home Tujunga project would benefit from the legislation. Justifying developers writing state law for their own profit, my opposition claimed the legislation's rationale was to protect developers from NIMBYism.
The move has riled Los Angeles City Council members (voting last month to oppose the state intervention in local land-use decisions), in addition to residents in Tujunga, La Crescenta and Glendale who have banded together to fight the proposed development and preserve the golf course. We need State Representation supportive of the local community. Green Party Member and tested leader in the community, Jack Lindblad provides that support, representing "We, the People" not "We, the Corporation."
future focus/sustainability:
Redirect "Enterprise zones" (in which the City of Los Angeles Community Redevelopment Agency engages in real estate speculation while allowing growing blight in the community) toward attracting and encouraging transit-oriented, pedestrian-friendly, mixed use, zero net energy, smart, compact, ecological-inspired architecture to reduce urban sprawl's carbon footprint and meet the 2030 mandated reduction of 80% - 90% of global greenhouse gases to mitigate global warming.Fully fund an expanded number of Tujunga-Pacoima Watershed projects to restore riparian and chaparral areas - especially to clean up contaminated properties (closed landfills, and auto salvage yards) for green space (our lungs), ground-water recharge, potable water (to offset Delta and Colorado River water cutbacks), flood control, recreation, community gardens, horse, bicycling and hiking trails. Convert impervious paved areas to pervious.
Parks and recreation areas foster human development, strengthen public safety and security, promote health and welfare, bolster community self-image and instill a 'sense of place,' promote cultural solidarity, and facilitate community problem-solving.
Maintain the mission of Hansen Dam to protect urban development from flooding and promote small water retention ponds, underground aquifers and cisterns. Establishment of governance based on bioregional-determined ecological conservation, watershed-based economic, political boundaries. By doing so, we begin to answer the shifting Mediterranean regional climate, rising sea levels and temperatures, drought, and water shortage challenging the continued existence of 18 million Southern Californians, while providing this planet with a new model for governance and eco-mindful consumption.
Expand rail and jitney transit to compensate for the required trips now taken by private, gas-consuming vehicles - which will be phased off the roadways.
personal/global responsibility:
The incumbent has amassed an unknown number of 'hidden' campaign committees with unknown amounts of dollars. One might conclude that his legislative initiatives appear to be gestures toward nursing a corporatist money flow into his campaign committee treasuries. My green answer is to promote Clean Money and publicly financed elections to hold elected officials responsible and accountable to the people's interests, not corporate interests so that single-payer health care can save 30% off the cost of providing quality healthcare for all.
(from california budget project)
Who (and How Many People) in our 39th Assembly District Would Be Affected Under the Governor’s Proposed Budget Estimated Impact?
• 3,260 Low-Income Children Who Would Lose Medi-Cal Coverage Due to Increased Paperwork Requirements in 2008-09 - By: 2009-10: 5,940 Children.
• 2,300 Low-Income Children Who Would Lose CalWORKs Cash Assistance Through June 2009.
• 106,570 Low-Income Medi-Cal Recipients Who Would be Affected by Reduced Payments to Medi-Cal Providers and Health Plans - Loss of Funds: $21,616,000.
• 14,330 Low-Income Seniors and Persons with Disabilities Who are Recipients Would be Affected by Suspended State Cost of Living Adjustments (COLAs) for SSI/SSP Grants, June 2008 Through June 2009.
• 13,620 Children Who are Healthy Families Program Recipients Would be Affected by Reduced Payments: - Loss of Funds: $900,000
• 5,340 Low-Income Seniors and Persons with Disabilities Who are Recipients Would be Affected by Reduced Number of Hours Provided for Domestic Services in the In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) Program, 2008-09.
The Governor has proposed substantial reductions to virtually all state-supported services to close the state’s budget gap. The Legislature will consider these proposed reductions and other options during upcoming budget hearings.
Who (and How Many People) in Los Angeles County Would Be Affected by the Governor’s Proposed Budget?
• 1,544,710 students served by Los Angeles County’s public schools. Cuts to five of the largest funding allocations for public schools in the county would equal $670 per student.
• 66,140 low-income children dropped from the CalWORKs Program.
• 418,840 low-income seniors and persons with disabilities who would lose the state cost-of-living adjustment for Supplemental Security Income/State Supplementary Payment cash assistance grants.
• 163,700 low-income seniors and persons with disabilities who would receive fewer hours of services through the In-Home Supportive Services Program.
• 5,170 fewer children enrolled in child care and preschool due to funding cuts to child development programs.
• 61,590 low-income children in 2008-09 – and a total of 112,140 children by 2009-10 – who would lose Medi-Cal coverage due to increased paperwork requirements.
• 2,261,650 low-income Medi-Cal recipients who may have reduced access to health care
services because of payment cuts to health care providers.
• 249,220 children enrolled in the Healthy Families Program, which provides low-cost health coverage for children in low-income working families. The Governor proposes to increase family premium contributions and copayments and reduce dental services.
• Visitors to five state parks in Los Angeles County, which the Governor proposes to close.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Survival of human species in the balance
The Green Party's Ten Key Values which form our party's political framework should be reflected in our society's politics, everyday day life and our inter-personal relationships. Without these ethical and moral imperatives at play, the existing political landscape remains dominated by the greed, corporatist, militarist and fraud-based nature of the duopoly party of Democrats and Republicans. This reality has led human culture on earth to the brink of self-annihilation. If we as a human species are to survive as a culture, current political decision-making must be transcended with a commonly-held harmonic convergence to our Green Party's Four Pillars and Ten Key Values.
The international Green Party movement is guided by the "Four Pillars": Ecological Wisdom, Social Justice, Grassroots Democracy, and Nonviolence. Ten Key Values Greens in the United States add six more -- Decentralization, Community-Based Economics, Feminism, Respect for Diversity, Personal and Global Responsibility, and Future Focus/Sustainability -- to form the "Ten Key Values".
I will bring the ethical and moral imperatives of the Greens' Ten Key Values to Sacramento.
The international Green Party movement is guided by the "Four Pillars": Ecological Wisdom, Social Justice, Grassroots Democracy, and Nonviolence. Ten Key Values Greens in the United States add six more -- Decentralization, Community-Based Economics, Feminism, Respect for Diversity, Personal and Global Responsibility, and Future Focus/Sustainability -- to form the "Ten Key Values".
I will bring the ethical and moral imperatives of the Greens' Ten Key Values to Sacramento.
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Meeting the global warming challenge
My architecture firm and my legislative agenda once I'm elected to the California state assembly share the same goal: To require all new construction and remodeling to meet the 2030 target of a graduated reduction of fossil fuel usage to zero by implementing innovative sustainable design and tax strategies, encouraging transit-oriented, pedestrian friendly, mixed-use development, generating on-site renewable power and/or certified renewable energy credits. The overall objective is to 'get off the grid' by achieving net-zero-energy performance.
The goals set in California were inspired by the 2030 Challenge goals, in which the nonprofit organization Architecture 2030 calls for no fossil fuel use for buildings by 2030. But California's goals are focused on net-zero-energy performance instead of fossil fuel use. CEC based its definition of net-zero-energy performance, and many of its recommendations, on a report by the California Public Utility Commission (CPUC), which states that a goal of “no net purchases from the electricity or gas grid” may be met with energy-efficient design and “onsite clean distributed generation.” Neither agency explains how net-zero-energy performance would be calculated in a building needing to offset natural gas usage with renewable energy.
The goals set in California were inspired by the 2030 Challenge goals, in which the nonprofit organization Architecture 2030 calls for no fossil fuel use for buildings by 2030. But California's goals are focused on net-zero-energy performance instead of fossil fuel use. CEC based its definition of net-zero-energy performance, and many of its recommendations, on a report by the California Public Utility Commission (CPUC), which states that a goal of “no net purchases from the electricity or gas grid” may be met with energy-efficient design and “onsite clean distributed generation.” Neither agency explains how net-zero-energy performance would be calculated in a building needing to offset natural gas usage with renewable energy.
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Lindblad announces run for California State Assembly
Against the dire backdrop of what scientists are saying that humanity has until 2010 to stop unchecked global warming "before it's too late" to avoid catastrophic effects to the health and economy of humankind, Jack Lindblad is announcing his candidacy to be elected to the California State Assembly.
California's Assembly legislates for a state that (if considered a nation) would be the world's eighth-largest economy and twelfth-ranked contributor to global greenhouse gases.
The current Democrat officeholder in a mostly Latino working class district is not reflecting the urgency required of political leadership to transform our wasteful, consumptive society from pending extinction to sustainability that both Democrats and Republicans refuse to address in realistic measures.
California's Assembly legislates for a state that (if considered a nation) would be the world's eighth-largest economy and twelfth-ranked contributor to global greenhouse gases.
The current Democrat officeholder in a mostly Latino working class district is not reflecting the urgency required of political leadership to transform our wasteful, consumptive society from pending extinction to sustainability that both Democrats and Republicans refuse to address in realistic measures.
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