How do current proposed transportation projects and the current plans of the new, ideological met council contribute to the possibility of our kids living in a toxic dump?
Will our local citizens have the courage to demand sustainable development, or simply numb themselves with overconsumption and pretend the consequences of our actions will all go away?
Will our local political leadership simply continue to cater to those who still regard the earth as an object to be plundered and filled with toxic waste, or will any of our local leaders speak truth to power and have courage to call the citizenry to work toward a truly sustainable economy in our bioregion?
Local action -- individual and collective -- seems to be the most important force for change, as state and national media, political and economic continually cater to a shrinking elite that will only entertain notions which reinforce the notion that the children very rich will inherit eternal and abundant life, while the children of the poor "evildoers" will be damned to a much-deserved exile in sweatshops and the globally-wramed wastelands.
So then, imagine a world where much of New York City, London, LA and Florida are submerged, while poor air quality and extreme, unpredictable weather patterns for our own bioregion make farming nearly impossible.
For an even better, more literary look at Minneapolis in 15 or 20 years, read Margeret Atwood's "Oryx and Crake" and think about the shrinking of government, the expansion of corporate power, and the role of police as de facto fascist enforcers for the shrinking minority who benefit from the status quo.
Here's the link to the Independant article:
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/1207-04.htm
Here's a link to a site about "Oryx and Crake" -- or just browse a copy at your local bookstore:
http://www.oryxandcrake.co.uk/home.asp
Atwood hit the nail on the head with her 1985 "Handmaid's Tale" and may have very well done so again.
It seems to me that responsible citizen's of our city -- and good politicians -- may want to consider how our local decisions may help lead the world to a sustainable future or simply reflect the "knowledgeable ignorance" that seems to guide most of our daily lives.
Keep reading, fellow citizens -- and think about how our local governance has potential to help make a word worth having for the next 20 or 50 years.
-- Reflecting before riding off on my new trike tomorrow, to work in my neighborhood -- globally warmed and breathing some very polluted air...
Gary Hoover
King Field
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