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SALT LAKE CITY, UT (krcl) – Once considered heresy amongst the scientific community, geo-engineering is now being seriously considered to alleviate the worst conditions of climate change. So-called “planet hacking” includes radical new ways to manipulate the earth’s temperature, include spraying sun-reflective pollution over the Middle East and growing carbon absorbing algae blooms in the ocean. Credible science or crazy science fiction? Journalist Eli Kintish’s new book, Hack the Planet, explores how once outlandish ideas are now being taken seriously by those hoping to avert climate chaos.
www.hacktheplanetbook.com © Copyright 2010, krcl

Merriam-Webster defines opportunity as: a favorable juncture of circumstances; a good chance for advancement or progress.

Few things seem to be going right in the this country at the moment: the economy is still weak, the oil spill continues to devastate communities along the Gulf, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq continue to drain our country’s resources without much progress, the social fabric of this country feels frayed and divided.  It would seem that our only shining bright moment was Landon Donovan’s goal in the World Cup yesterday.

It would seem that way if you simply focus on the headlines. Amidst the bad news is an underlying narrative that the current trajectory is not working.  And when something is not working, it is time for a change.

The pessimistic conventional wisdom would tell a story like this: Eventually the oil spill will be stopped, tighter safety regulation on the oil and coal industries may pass to appease public outrage, but we will continue to throw billions of dollars overseas each year for oil, we will continue to drill and mine and frack our communities for the energy beneath them, while energy companies continue to make record profits.   Superficial changes will be politically popular but will do little to change our dysfunctional energy system.  Then the next energy crisis will hit.

Here in Utah, it would seem that this story is playing out. In response to the Gulf oil catastrophe, Utah Governor Gary Herbert released an energy plan where he asked: “Why are we drilling in the middle of the ocean where there is extreme environmental risk when we could be meeting the demand for domestic production from on‐shore development in areas with minimal environmental risk such as Utah?”

Two days later, an oil spill in Salt Lake City dumped 33,000 gallons of oil into a creek that runs through neighborhoods, parks and eventually drains into the Great Salt Lake.

Further, Utah stands poised to adopt the injudicious honor of opening the first tar sands mine in the country.

But like the shining moment of Landon Donovan’s goal yesterday, our country has the opportunity to follow a different story. This year’s litany of coal mine disasters, natural gas explosions and oil spills are forcing Americans to face the question: how much longer are we willing to continue our dependence fossil fuels? As a result of these highly visible and truly unfortunate disasters, public opinion has shifted, recognizing that not only is offshore drilling unsafe but that we need to make the switch to cleaner, safer energy sources.

An opportunity is not a guarantee that change will happen.

Now is the time to call for bolder changes than we have before.  Now is the time to break the myth that drilling and mining and fracking are safe ways to get our energy.  Now is the time to stop the viral growth of tar sands extraction, here in Utah and around the country.  Now is the time to stop subsidizing these destructive industries and kickstart our economy again with investment in clean energy technologies.

As thousands gather on Saturday in Hands Across the Sand events across the country, it is critical that we not only call for an end to offshore drilling, but boldly tell the story of a country that can buck the corrupting stranglehold the fossil fuel industries hold on our nation and can build an economy that values innovation, community revitalization and a cleaner, brighter future.

We have an opportunity to redefine the narrative of this country.  Now is the time to do it.

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SALT LAKE CITY, UT (krcl) – Ashley welcomes Brad Parkin from Hoogle Zoo to update us on the condition of the 280 birds that were rescued after the Chevron spill. Mayor Ralph Becker updates us on the latest clean-up effort. And in our last segment, local resident Jenna Helf joins us to share her decade long court battle against Chevron. As an employee, she was permanently disabled through exposure to their toxic chemicals. She explains her struggle to obtain justice and hold Chevron accountable for causing her injury. Her story is recounted in The True Cost of Chevron: An Alternative Annual Report; www.truecostofchevron.com © Copyright 2010, krcl

Peaceful Uprising in Telluride

When I was offered the chance to join Peaceful Uprising at the Mountainfilm Festival in Telluride, I approached it as a chance to relax and get out of the city.  And for the first two days, it was; we enjoyed beautiful scenery and the company of extraordinary friends and acquaintances.  I felt lucky to be there… a sweet sense of shallow contentment, that would soon be shaken from me.

The following morning, I felt surprisingly vulnerable and uneasy.  After attending a breakfast talk featuring the famous monkey-wrenchers Tim DeChristopher, Katie Lee, and Dave Foreman, something struck a chord with me.  In particular, Tim had described reaching a point in time where his personal future no longer mattered–where he let go of the assumption that he could have a “normal” life like our parents’ generation had.  I couldn’t help but think about how that would feel.  Career, children, life’s previous goals… all suddenly overshadowed by the need to stand up and do something.  I felt weakened.

Thankfully, during the next presentation, the lights were dimmed to the point that only those sitting next to me could see the tears streaming down my face.  The extremely talented Chris Jordan shared his experience in researching and photographing the deaths of the Albatross native to Midway Island.  These majestic birds are collecting cigarette lighters, small toys, bottle caps, and many other forms of plastic that we’ve peppered the ocean with, to feed to their young and, ultimately, kill them.  They are thousands of miles from human civilization, and yet we’ve still managed to seep into their ecosystem, in the most harmful way.

Chris spoke about his experience of horror and eventually complete hopelessness through the whole process, and his need to embrace the pain and grow from it.  At one point, he broke down to speechless tears, which contagiously silenced the auditorium.  Chris’ poignant vulnerability and naked heartbreak induced a sense of shame and desperation that had been lurking inside me for some time.  I was launched into what I can only refer to as a social coma: three hours spent in uncontrollable waves of tears, hope, fear, laughter and ultimate frustration.

Later that day, as I sat in an open meadow and took in the stunning natural beauty of the Colorado mountains, I felt a surprising sense of joy intermingling with my lingering feelings of fear and hopelessness. In this picturesque setting, I continued my introspective journey and thought about how Chris Jordan described his struggle to turn toward beauty and inspiration in his artwork, while at the same time embracing and fully feeling his pain and heartbreak. Eventually, through the loving words of some dear friends and fellow activists, I finally reached a state of empowerment and clarity.  And despite it’s turbulent arrival, a strong sense of joy lingers.  A joy that I hope will give me the strength to stand up and fight for the future that we’ve come so close to destroying.  I will never forget the experiences I had that weekend at Mountainfilm Festival, and will forever be grateful for those who shared them with me.

Thought oil was bad enough already? Tar sands are worse.

Tar sands are the dirtiest fuel on the planet and are currently destroying land the size of Florida in Canada. Now, Canadian company Earth Energy Resources (EER) wants to bring there here to Utah. But we still have time to stop them.

Although the Department of Oil, Gas and Mining has approved EER’s permit to build the first commercial tar sands mine in the country, they still need to finalize environmental permits and raise money for construction. So, Peaceful Uprising is working to stop those permits and build public opposition to the mine to scare off investors.

Join Peaceful Uprising for our No Tar Sands campaign kick-off and find out how you can help keep tar sands out of Utah.

John Weisheit, the Colorado Riverkeeper, and Juliana Williams, No Tar Sands Organizer Extraordinaire, introduce the campaign and lead discussion of how we can work together to protect Utah from the sticky menace that is tar sands.

WHEN: Tuesday, June 29th, 7:30-8:30pm

WHERE: First Unitarian Church of SLC, 569 S 1300 E [map]

Podcast: Download (10.2MB)

SALT LAKE CITY, UT (krcl) – An estimated 33,000 gallons of crude oil were released into Utah waterways this past weekend. Ashley welcomes local resident and biologist Peter Hayes, Chevron representative Dan Johnson, retired biologist Ty Harrison and Lynn De Freitas from Friends of the Great Salt Lake to discuss the human and ecological impact of the disaster. In the latter part of the show, we welcome Antonia Juhasz, author of The True Cost of Chevron: An Alternative Annual Report. Juhasz argues that the Salt Lake spill is not unusual given Chevron’s global track record.

www.truecostofchevron.com © Copyright 2010, krcl

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SALT LAKE CITY, UT (krcl) – Ashley welcomes left-leaning populist Tim DeChristopher and right-leaning blogger Frank Staheli to discuss ways to transcend the divisiveness of contemporary politics. The three discuss taxes, climate change, Glenn Beck and the Tea Party, and find they actually have much in common. DeChristopher is the founder of the environmental group Peaceful Uprising and Staheli runs the blog Simple Utah Mormon Politics.

© Copyright 2010, krcl