Here is a second video put out by Earthwatch, about the world’s dirtiest and most expensive oil, from Alberta, Canada: tar sands oil. After watching the video, follow the Na’vi’s advice: warn President Obama about dirty tar sands oil at http://action.avatarsands.org.
*Strong Language Warning – Not Suitable For Children*
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1tA60fXlKM]
happy May Day to you!
I just watched these two Ava Tar Sands videos one after the other, the first from Vancouver and the second from New York
first, the eff-word, for the record I use it all the time, on days when my gout is bothering me even moreso, and it does point at one of the most delightful of human activities, but still, count the number of uses in the two videos and decide which uses are most effective?
second, the visual techniques, carefully painted hands or duct-tape cutouts? a fundamental rule of thumb for determining believability, integrity, call it what you will, is the effort and skill and time and energy that goes into the message, Gandhi knew that, people who do their homework know that, strikers who stand out in the cold and rain know that, so, which video took more work do you think? which one do you believe?
third, the idea that Obama will listen to the largest, or most vocal, or most visible, whatever … constituency, which video expresses this notion most clearly? which one moves you to action of some kind?
this bears another thought – it is no good speaking in code, the question for many, for the majority (dig it), is as simple as can be, boils down to, “why should I believe Al Gore and Wendell Berry instead of Stephen Harper and Jim Prentice?” or some such thing as that, nevermind that most of ’em have never heard of Wendell Berry, these are questions that can’t be answered with coded assumptions or with preaching to the choir, they have to be answered factually and clearly and calmly – “350 parts per million is the upper limit of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to permit planetary flourishing and the survival of human civilization as we know it. The current level is 391 …”
I have just finished reading Bill McKibben’s ‘Eaarth’ – we are eff-ed (!), ok, but we are clever monkees and may yet find ways forward, hopefully better ways than his paean of praise for the Internet suggests (doh!?), but that’s just a quibble, along with Lester Brown he is one of the few optimistic and positive voices out there, and without ever once slipping into the code of correctitude – God bless ‘im!
I surely do understand the frustration of people, young and old, who are trying to get through the despair, through the ‘slough of despond’ if you will, once in a while all of us would like to simply shout out “EFF THEM” and though it feels good it doesn’t wash
once again, Happy May Day, you may know the doggerel ditty that starts, “Hurray, hurray, it’s the first of May …” 🙂
be well.
PS – if anyone wants a little 350 button to wear, let me know somehow and I will send it to you, free for nothing, or more than one for that matter 🙂
Hey, David, it’s always good to hear from my favourite 350-button “pusher” (and my supplier!). I take it you like the Vancouver version of “Ava Tar Sands” better – I agree…
Hope your May Day was “effin'” good 🙂