Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Arthur Waskow wants "Speakout Street Seders for the Earth"

When we last met Arthur Waskow, he wanted to make Chanukah more meaningful by shifting its focus to global warming. Here the Nation gives him a pulpit from which to have a go at Passover:
[...] This year, the first Seder of Passover falls on Saturday night, April 19; Earth Day occurs three days later, on April 22. The environmental focus of Earth Day--which has softened a great deal over the decades--could be sharpened in connection with Passover and its reminder about contemporary pharaohs . . .

There is a close relationship between our individual profligate consumption of coal and oil and the behavior of these pharaohs--Big Oil, Big Coal and Big Auto. They seduce us into our addictions while claiming that global "scorching" does not exist, or that if it does it is not the result of human misdeeds, or that even if it is, it will cost our economy too much to change. All this is the behavior of pharaohs protecting their power and wealth by making their products into our idols . . .

Beyond the conventional home and community Seders, we could do Speakout Street Seders for the Earth--perhaps during the week before Passover--to galvanize public attention and stir conversations at home Seders all over the country. Earth Day itself could be another venue for such events.

Could such Speakout Street Seders for the Earth gather people in many different cities to focus public attention on the need for change in public policy--and on the pharaohs that stand in the way?

At Environmental "Protection" Agency regional offices, demanding that the EPA permit the states to adopt higher earth-healing standards on carbon emissions?

Or at ExxonMobil offices, demanding carbon taxes?

Or at Congressional offices, with the Warner-Lieberman climate bill coming up for votes about then, needing major improvements? [...]
Crossposted on Soccer Dad

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