Editorial: Our Ancestors, Our Children, Our Waters, Our World

— by Margie Doyle —

The momentum of historic change never ceases to amaze me: how quickly some things change, like the internet influence in our lives; and how suddenly, after fighting to emerge, slowly but unstoppable over years, a movement will suddenly break through like the birth of a newborn after the slap on his bum.

Hope I’ve got your attention, because a few weeks ago, Dr. Kathleen Moore got mine.

Oh, I heard Al Gore’s message in “Inconvenient Truth,” I felt twinges of guilt every Earth Day, I cried over the oil-drenched birds with every ocean oil spill, and I made attempts to recycle packaging, bottles and food waste. But I never really “owned” the cause of diminishing fossil fuel consumption or fighting to decrease its impact on the climate.

Kathy Moore is the Distinguished Professor of Philosophy and co-founder and Senior Fellow of the Spring Creek Project for Ideas, Nature, and the Written Word at Oregon State Universit. She is a climate activist and the author of several books (see www.riverwalking.com)

Her talk to a gathering of lively, non-academic professional fishers who also are poets — the FisherPoets Gathering — was entitled “The Moral Response to Climate Change.” Amidst all the Gathering’s readings and music and tall tales and remembrances, this ironic, soft-spoken naturalist chided the poets in attendance to act with integrity in the face of damaging climate change; to use the gifts, talents and experience at their disposal.

To do anything less is immoral. It is that simple, and that logical.

Kathy Moore said the oceans’ climate change crisis is “a
moral problem at base. While all would accept the premise that it’s wrong to wreck the world, Moore cites the common hedges:
“We’re too busy”
Or “not paying attention”
Or “don’t know what to do”

These are not moral responses. Moore says, for climate change is:

1) a violation of human rights; for example, those whose lifestyle is dependent upon the polar ice cap claim they have a right to ice and the livelihood it brings;
2) a violation of justice: the unbounded consumption of human goods harms threatens,marginalizes and dis-empowers the life of children, plants and animals, and future generations:
3) a failure of reverence: by mid-century, scientists tell us we can anticipate extinction of 50 percent of species. Moore questioned gently, “If you believe in God; if you believe that creation was good; ask the question, “Can God feel Grief? How is that grief expressed in our lives?”
4) a betrayal of our children, who will reject our defenses that “the forces against us were too great” when we respond that we did nothing when we realized their future was at stake.

Then after getting hit by that 2×4, she described the oil industry, advertising and government campaigns for “ordinary citizen buy-in” that make us turn inward in paralyzing guilt for our dependency on fossil fuels.

She refuted the justifications that it’s too big for us, it’s hopeless, we can’t do anything, or that “technology will come up with the answer.” Dr. Moore pokes fun at the biggest cop-out of all: what if climate change is a big hoax and we take all these measures to steward the earth and the seas for nothing?

Is it nothing to create green jobs, livable cities, and not least of all, quiet? she asks. She ticks off the movements where small groups of people have changed the status quo, among them:

• the Vietnam War was brought to an end, in part when armies of young men said, “Hell no, we won’t go!”
• a year-long boycott by locals of the Montgomery bus system ushered in the era of Civil Rights activism that saw the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

And so she suggest responses “in tune with our moral integrity:”
1) Tireless and fierce defense of the world, whatever your work and your gifts may be;
2) Conscientious objection and creative disruption to the immoral status quo – can we warm our homes, can we eat, can we travel using non-fossil fuel technologies?
3) Call to cultural and symbolic action: gatherings and communities called to witness, grief, decency, and celebration. Face the facts in every way we know how;
5) Relentless citizenship — no more subsidies for fossil fuels which now receive $1.9 trillion in direct subsidies; no more infrastructure in support of fossil fuel consumption; putting a price on carbon;
6) Exercise of the “ethical compulsion to restraint” and honoring those who do so.

Moore asked, “Why is it easier to imagine the end of the world than the end of capitalism?” Instead she advises, “Imagine the good life we can bring about.

“I believe we are a great ship and we are under sail.”

Here on Orcas, it just snowed last week, but now the daffodils and plum blossoms are out with the blue sky of truth and transparency. The good old earth is rising again from its winter hibernation and drenching, and Orcas Island is humming with reminders to be grateful, to honor our ancestors, to work for our children and to steward our world’s natural resources.

Stand up, speak out and support others that do so too:

Write and call your congressional representatives: 1.800.562.6000
Contacts for current serving legislators can be found at www.leg.wa.gov/legislature/  Addresses for national representatives and senators can be found at this site also. In your own words and with your own signature,  tell them that we support their efforts to make effective legislation and hold them responsible to do so.

Attend  the SeaDoc/YMCA Camp Orkila meeting at the Episcopal Parish Hall at 7 p.m. TONIGHT “Calling Back the Salmon Spirit” and bear witness to the natural world that respectful ancestors gave to us, and that innocent children and species depend upon us to nurture and protect.

This Saturday, March 15 at 12:30 p.m., attend the presentation at the Episcopal Parish Hall of “Our Islands at Risk: Increased Vessel Traffic and Increased Risk of a Major Oil Spill” and learn about what would happen in the event of a major oil spill. Gary Shigenaka, a marine biologist for NOAA, who specializes in marine life studies during oil spills, will talk about how various cargo and propulsion oils would likely behave if spilled in our marine environment. Julie Knight, Executive Director of Islands Oil Spill Association (IOSA), will talk about local spill response preparedness.

Later on Saturday, March 15 celebrate and earn about “The Tides of March” at the 3rd annual meeting hosted by the folks at Kwiaht and the Indian Island Marine Observatory at the Episcopal Parish Hall from 4 to 5:30 p.m. This year the focus will be on marine microbiology and how it is affected by toxic household products and pharmaceuticals in human waste.

On Sunday, March 16, Sharon Abreu and Mike Hurwicz are leading the community in celebrating great American songwriter/troubadour  Pete Seeger, who died earlier this year. All are invited to the Legacy Concert from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. at the Episcopal Parish Hall. Donations are welcome to cover the cost of renting the space, and additional funds will be donated to two nonprofits: Indian Island Marine Health Observatory, and Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, founded by Pete and Toshi Seeger,

On Wednesday, March 19, attend the OPALCO Town Hall at the Senior Center at 5 p.m. and learn about renewable power, energy efficiency, and power supplies.

On Sunday, March 23, see the  film “Black Wave: the Legacy of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill,” sponsored by the San Juans Alliance at  3 p.m. at the Orcas Senior Center.

Please write in your comments to continue the activism of behalf of our ancestors, our children, our waters and our world.