The biofuels/rainforest struck a note.  This past year I lived in China, and I am returning there at the end of the month.  I am researching biofuels development, specifically what jatropha might do for biodiesel.  In 2020, China's appetite for diesel will be 170 million tonnes (currently 100 or more). Waste oil can be turned into biodiesel, but this could only supply up to 10 million tonnes.  So if China wants to pursue a 5 or 10% Biodiesel standard (or even more ambitious), they will have to look at energy crops.  Given that they're already a net food and oil (both edible and for cars) importer, there's not much room to be growing it on their soil.  This is where palm oil plantations in malaysia and indonesia enter the picture.

I'll be trying to research jatropha, a non-edible seed-based plant, that maybe can be succesfully grown on less arable lands, that currently aren't used for growing food.  And maybe provide extra income for poor farmers.  But if it's successful, CNPC might come in and just rip that money out of the farmer's hands, and if not, they'll buy out some plantations in Indonesia, thus worsening climate change.

If that happens, I'll call my friend in Indonesia, and hopefully him and I can organize the locals to protest!

I would like to protest new coal fired power plants in China, but my rights as an American citizen aren't too protected over there.

Since the mythic Battle of Seattle, and 9/11 the police forces of this country, and the entire political apparatus have become more repressive than at any time since J. Edgar Hoover and Richard Nixon called the shots. We are in an authoritarian phase in our national ying/yang. In Northeast Ohio, for instance, a person who has been putting up signs that say Impeach Bush, has been catching no end of shit. It seems that the city prosecutors sit around all day just dreaming of new ways to beat him up.

Lets face it. The American people are cowed, intimidated and a long way from being willing to face the wrath of the powers that be - I don't care what the issue is.

Randy Cunningham

Randy Cunningham

"I can't understand why there aren't rings of young people blocking bulldozers," Mr. Gore said,

LMAOLONTHEGROUNDROLLINGANDBITINGMYTONGUEOFF!

Young people want cell phones and PS/3s.   They want to IM friends for booty calls, and drive over in nice new 4-door luxury sedans that their parents gave them for their birthdays.

Young people wish Al Gore, Bono, Paris Hilton and all the other old farts trying to "understand them" would just die off already and stop wrecking the party and leave what's left of the planet for them to enjoy without using the last bit of oil up to fly to some dumb book signing tour in Algeria...or something.

Later...I have to write about cleaning my teeth with a toothpick on Twitter.

Texeme.Construct(function(x)=Participation(x))

There always have been, are and will continue to be young people who care. Along with old people, and middle aged people, and poor people and even a few rich people who have not had their hearts turned to stone by their status. Attaching a particular amount of idealism to any one group usually fails to pass a second look. Just look at the alledgedly idealistic baby boom generation. Man, what a flaming disappointment we have been.

My point, though was the rise of repression in America. The bike protestors that were mentioned in the other post, will experience the Iron Heel soon enough. You can bet on it.

Randy Cunningham.

Randy Cunningham

As for the other side - the rich kids. I doubt anyone so comfortable with his or her lifestyle can find real motivation to inspire social change. They have nothing to gain from activism. After all, they would only be protesting against themselves.

I realize there is no excuse for inaction in a world of greed. This is not an excuse, but an attempt to speak for my shameless peers. I would not only love to see a revival of radical activism, but feel it is necessary as I have lost faith in our government to accomplish anything in the name of progress.

My rights are gone, my pockets are empty and if I say anything about it I'm considered a terrorist and put on some federal blacklist, being placed under constant surveillance. Our current system has done an excellent job of discouraging public discourse and radical organization. They have learned from the past and will do anything to prevent the rise of a new Abbie Hoffman.

But have no fear, I see something big coming, it's close and no one can stop it. As I see it, our current state of affairs and public consciousness has hit rock bottom, we have no where to go but up. Once the ball starts rolling, it'll be unstoppable and everyone will regret they ever doubted my generation. We will prevail and the world will change, we have no other options.

Too harsh, too pessimistic?  You live in a country insulated from reality.  People all over the world hit rock bottom all of the time, in Sudan, Rwanda, Afghanistan, Iraq, Peru, East Timor...  There's nothing magical about the United States; we are not immune to a future of devastation.  I think optimism is necessary, but keep your eyes on what is real in the meantime.

In the same vein, Exxon et al., the G.W. Bush administration, and all the GW deniers are your worst enemies.

Yes, there are some very good reasons for protesting. Civil disobedience would seem a very good idea!


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Science - our understanding of nature and the universe, trumps everything - religion, politics!

On that subject, why is it that in these days of high technology, there still seems to be so much travel and CO2 intensive awareness campaigns by these high profile types. Surely there's some excellent opportunities to get worldwide attention (and awareness) from a single innovative action like this, or... someone like Al selling off his very large and well publicised house and moving into a smaller uber-efficent home, or... publicly refusing to EVER fly and only ever giving talks/etc using technology, or... etc.

You must be the change you want to see in the world.

Maybe he could post bail for our friends who were arrested for their nonviolent protest?

Did Al Gore Just Tell You Off?
http://itsgettinghotinhere.org/2007/08/16/did-al-gore-jus ...

Check out dispatches from the youth climate movement: http://www.itsgettinghotinhere.org/