Eco-communities as a social vision

Eco-communities as a social vision
Egalitarian and ecological communities, like the pictured East Wind (www.eastwind.org), are very close to our vision of an ecological society

21 August, 2008

"Drilling - Yes or No" by ANWR (Arctic National Wildlife Refuge) (2002)


People vying for their rights
Getting ready for their fight
Oh what will they do
When the arguments are through

Drilling issues we've gotta face
We're divided in the race
From this point where does it go
Is it Drilling - Yes or No

We can't forget the Terror
That brought us all together
We raised our flags and sang the songs
The adversity made us strong

Drilling issues we've gotta face
We're divided in the race
From this point where does it go
Is it Drilling - Yes or No

Now the facts are all in
We'll all lose or win
Hear the voice
Of the people call
Let's decide to break down the wall
Cause united we stand - divided we fall

Our world resource is running dry
America's future looks to you and I
To make the choice - To Drill The Land
Again united we must stand

Drilling issues we gotta face
Take a stand now in this race
Let's decide responsibly
To keep America free


A song that deals with environmental issues but urges us to put environment aside in favour of nationalistic ideals in the sociopolitical context of war against terrorism after the 9/11 tragedy. The song supports the destruction of a national natural refuge in Alaska for oil extraction in order to end USA's suspension from Mid East oil and maybe restrict their military-political interests in this area .

But we think that either is a propaganda song or at least affected by such a propaganda. USA is the greatest polluter in the planet and because is has the greatest political power, has also the impudence not to sign or comform to international environmental protocoles (Rio, Kyoto) subverting any efforts to reverse the climatic change. Any decision or policy that supports and continues an oil-based economy or way of life is a dead end for all the planet, no matter if the oil deposits in Alaska are enough for USA's independence from gas imports. For the ANWR drilling controversy read in wikipedia related article

Also ANWR is a wildlife refuge where indigenous people (indian and eskimo tribes) live in harmony with nature suspending their life and economy in sensitive natural resources (hunting caribous, fishing, etc) We read about in wikipedia here and here:

The Alaska Inter-Tribal Council, which represents 229 Native Alaskan tribes, officially opposes any development in ANWR.[38] In March 2005 Luci Beach, [39] the executive director of the steering committee for the Native Alaskan and Canadian Gwich’in tribe (a member of the AI-TC), during a trip to Washington D.C., while speaking for a unified group of 55 Alaskan and Canadian indigenous peoples, said that drilling in ANWR is "a human rights issue and it's a basic Aboriginal human rights issue."[40] She went on to say, "Sixty to 70 percent of our diet comes from the land and caribou is one of the primary animals that we depend on for sustenance." The Gwich'in tribe adamantly believes that drilling in ANWR would have serious negative effects on the calving grounds of the Porcupine Caribou herd that they partially rely on for food. [41]

A part of the Inupiat population of Kaktovik, and 5,000 to 7,000 Gwich’in peoples feel their lifestyle would be disrupted or destroyed by drilling.[42] The Inupiat from Point Hope, Alaska recently passed resolutions [43] recognizing that drilling in ANWR would allow resource exploitation in other wilderness areas. The Inupiat, Gwitch'in, and other tribes are calling for sustainable energy practices and policies. The Tanana Chiefs Conference (representing 42 Alaska Native villages from 37 tribes) opposes drilling, as do at least 90 Native American tribes. The National Congress of American Indians (representing 250 tribes), the Native American Rights Fund as well as some Canadian tribes also oppose drilling in the 1002 area.

Support from the chiefly Inupiat Eskimo residents of the village of Kaktovik, located in area 1002, is cited as one of the reasons for drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.[44] Sixty-eight villagers responded to a 2000 survey paid for by the state of Alaska with a $25,000 grant to educate the town on ANWR, fifty-three of whom strongly agreed or agreed that "The coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge should be open to oil and gas exploration."[45]

In May 2006 a resolution was passed in the village of Kaktovik calling Shell Oil Company "a hostile and dangerous force" which authorized the mayor to take legal and other actions necessary to "defend the community."[46] The resolution also calls on all North Slope communities to oppose Shell owned offshore leases unrelated to the ANWR controversy until the company becomes more respectful of the people.[47] Mayor Sonsalla says Shell has failed to work with the villagers on how the company would protect bowhead whales which are part of Native culture, subsistence life, and diet.[47]
....
Caribou is traditionally a major component of their diet. Many Gwichʼin people are dependent on the Porcupine caribou which herd calves on the coastal plain in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). Gwichʼin people have been very active in protesting and lobbying against the possibility of oil drilling in ANWR, due to fears that oil drilling will deplete the population of the Porcupine Caribou herd which they rely on for nutritional and cultural needs. Gwich'in have also actively protested the development of oil in the Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge, and a proposed land trade from the United States Wildlife Refuge system and Doyon Inc..


you can hear a sample of this song or order it in ANWR band's website. No matter that it gives predecence to patriotism over the environment its a beautiful song

3 comments:

tablet pc said...

Oh my god, there is really much effective info above!

www.guipuzcoa-3d.com said...

Thanks for your article, quite useful piece of writing.

muebles madrid said...

To my mind everybody have to glance at it.