SENTIENT TIMES • October/November 2006

Editor's Note

By Deborah Mokma

By Deborah Mokma

“For a wise man, there is nothing to be called bad. Any adversity of life provides a step for his growth, provided he knows how to utilize it.”
– Buddha

I recently experienced a wonderful example of why choosing locally grown food over food shipped in from long distances is the best choice. Last September E. coli contaminated spinach from large commercial growers in southern California was causing serious illness among people in several states. A friend and I were dining out in Ashland during the initial period of this outbreak when little was known about which California spinach was responsible—organic spinach, originally reported to be the culprit, turned out later not to be at fault. It occurred to us that we should ask if there was spinach in the soup or salad, and if so where it came from. To our delight, we were told that all of the spinach and salad greens served in this restaurant were from Whistling Duck Farm, one of our local organic vegetable growers.

As the story unfolded several factors emerged which pointed to the possible reason for this particular E. coli outbreak. Natural Selection, purported to be the largest spinach processing operation in the country and where the contaminated spinach appears to have originated, was mismanaging its wastewater and had been in violation of a state water disposal permit. The sheer size of this operation may be, in part, responsible for their inability to keep human waste separated from their fields. But the corporate structure, which considers bottom line profits to be priority, may also be to blame.

Food safety is only one of the reasons for relocalizing our economy. According to the Relocalization Network (www.relocalize.net), “Relocalization is a strategy which aims to build societies based on the local production of food, energy and goods, and the local development of currency, governance and culture. The main goals of Relocalization are to increase community energy security, to strengthen local economies, and to dramatically improve environmental conditions and social equity. Reclaiming of our socio-cultural and economic systems [helps] each locality operate well within its regional ecological boundaries [to] fight the detrimental effects of globalization. Relocalization supports the production of local goods and services while also making a firm commitment to reducing consumption and improving environmental and social conditions. In this way, communities begin to develop a greater degree of economic self-reliance and stronger sense of community.”
Catherine Austin Fitts (www.Solari.com), who promotes local investment and teaches about the importance of keeping our money in our community, will address these concepts in Ashland, Oregon on October 19 and 21. Fitts will explore strategies and offer tools for “surviving and thriving through changing times” in both an evening presentation and a Saturday workshop (see the ad on the back page for details).

The US, the world’s largest consumer of oil, uses two-thirds of it for transportation. Cars and trucks are major contributors to air pollution and are responsible for more than 20 percent of US global warming pollution. Reducing the need for transporting food and other essentials will not only prevent possible interruptions in our supply stream, but will also reduce emissions which affect the climate. With all of this in mind we have included articles in this issue which examine many actions we can each take to minimize our part in causing climate change. Many solutions available now can help to reduce global warming pollution—compact fluorescent bulbs, cleaner cars, and renewable energy which can also create economic opportunities.

Some members of Congress are also acting to address global warming. Last June Representative Henry Waxman (D-CA) introduced HR 5642, a bill that would gradually reduce global warming emissions by 80 percent. In July, Senators Jim Jeffords (I-VT) and Barbara Boxer (D-CA) introduced a similar bill in the Senate. Both bills call for a greater reliance on clean, renewable energy sources and improved energy efficiency—solutions that will help in reducing air pollution, creating new jobs, and reducing our dependence on oil. Please call the US Capitol switchboard toll free at 1-877-851-6437 and urge your congressional representatives to co-sponsor these critical science-based global warming bills. You can also visit http://ucsaction.org to take action.

Economist and author David Korten, who is currently engaging local civic, business, academic, and faith groups in the ideas forwarded in his new book, The Great Turning: From Empire to Earth Community, will offer presentations throughout our bioregion in November which provide an opportunity for people discuss the need for new approaches. As Korten says “Business as usual is over. The era of cheap oil is ending, climate change is real and deadly, and the US economy rests on an unsustainable foundation of financial and environmental debt. The initiative in embracing the moral imperative to fashion a constructive response to a growing planetary emergency must flow from the community level upward through an inclusive process that engages the interests and participation of everyone.” To find out how you can join David Korten and members of your community see the ad on page 13 and the article on page 18 for dates and locations.

By facing adversity together, as a community, we and all of our relations will benefit and even find ways to prosper in the days ahead.

SENTIENT TIMES
PO Box 1330 Ashland, OR 97520
PHONE (541) 512-1084 • FAX (541) 512-1085
dmokma@jeffnet.org