Sunday, October 09, 2011

Has Occupy Wall Street Spread to Cape Cod Yet?

Last week I saw a few Occupy Wall Street protesters in Eastham, across from the town hall, holding signs aloft. Where are the protesters here in Wellfleet? You are reading one right now. I thoroughly support this movement. In my case, I feel their outrage, as the 99%, when I think of NStar.

The EPA New England Web site explains that citizens must defend their sole-source aquifer. I wrote letters early on to explain how citizens on Cape Cod wanted to do just that, so that our drinking water would not become compromised by toxic chemicals. I received wishy-washy replies back, one from an appointee by Bush, and one by the current appointee by Obama.

Not acceptable.

The EPA is hindered in enforcement of such recommendations as protection of our aquifer by corporate interests. I feel this is part of what the Occupy Wall Street protest is about.

Here’s Naomi Klein, speaking this past week:

“The point is, today everyone can see that the system is deeply unjust and careening out of control. Unfettered greed has trashed the global economy. And it is trashing the natural world as well. We are overfishing our oceans, polluting our water with fracking and deepwater drilling, turning to the dirtiest forms of energy on the planet, like the Alberta tar sands. And the atmosphere cannot absorb the amount of carbon we are putting into it, creating dangerous warming. The new normal is serial disasters: economic and ecological.

These are the facts on the ground. They are so blatant, so obvious, that it is a lot easier to connect with the public than it was in 1999, and to build the movement quickly.

We all know, or at least sense, that the world is upside down: we act as if there is no end to what is actually finite—fossil fuels and the atmospheric space to absorb their emissions. And we act as if there are strict and immovable limits to what is actually bountiful—the financial resources to build the kind of society we need.

The task of our time is to turn this around: to challenge this false scarcity. To insist that we can afford to build a decent, inclusive society—while at the same time, respect the real limits to what the earth can take ...”

And yesterday, Bill McKibben explained why the 350.org movement on global warming has not made much progress. Do listen.

For background, go here.

Finally, Chris Hedges in a recent interview of note.

Comments (6)

Loading... Logging you in...
  • Logged in as
I also support the protestors. The reality is that so many of us are struggling financially and that we need lasting sustainable change. We can't go back to the phat 90s when spending was out of control. We need to find a way to have a robust economy AND not pollute and destroy the environment. It's so frustrating.

This sentence really resonates with me. I think it's so sadly true and so much of our government is hindered from doing what is "right." Well, or allows itself to be hindered might be a better way to put it.

"The EPA is hindered in enforcement of such recommendations as protection of our aquifer by corporate interests."
Zalman Saperstein's avatar

Zalman Saperstein · 694 weeks ago

The "Unlivable Wage Revolution" is brewing everywhere!
Right there with you!
My recent post Living Large Tip of the Week: Ditch the Bleach
Facebooked by Arlene: For those wanting to know if an Occupy Cape Cod event is happening in Hyannis....YES! Here's the info for the Hyannis event Friday (and Provincetown on Saturday).
Occupy Cape Cod
Hyannis Town Green
Friday, October 14, 2011 4:00 PM
"Wall Street" comes to Wellfleet for OysterFest......Let's Drum/stand on the corner and welcome them with OCCUPY WELLFLEET.......a Saturday presence.....and all year long........ch
Barry Croft's avatar

Barry Croft · 693 weeks ago

Facebook pages have been set up for Occupy Cape Cod, Occupy Falmouth and Occupy Hyannis

Post a new comment

Comments by