ONLY GOOD NEWS FEB/MAY 2001 VOLUME NINE - NUMBER ONE / PUBLISHED: 8 FEB 2001
*WHEN A MAJESTIC, 300-YEAR-OLD REDWOOD IS CUT DOWN AND TURNED INTO PICNIC TABLES,
THE LOGGING AND PICNIC TABLE-BUILDING ACTIVITIES ADD TO THE GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT (GDP),
WHILE NO DEDUCTION IS MADE FOR THE LOSS OF THAT TREE AND ALL THE NONMARKET SERVICES IT
PROVIDES. WHEN A PAPER MILL DUMPS DIOXIN-LADEN WASTES INTO A RIVER,
THE PAPER-MAKING BOOSTS THE GDP, BUT NO DEDUCTION IS MADE FOR THE COSTS ASSOCIATED
WITH THE WATER POLLUTION. CONVERSELY, NO ADDITION IS MADE TO THE GDP FOR THE AIR AND WATER
CLEANED BY WETLANDS OR OLD-GROWTH FORESTS. SUCH PERVERSITIES AND OMISSIONS ARE DEEPLY
EMBEDDED IN THE WAY THE UNITED STATES MEASURES ECONOMIC ACTIVITY,
AND FORM PART OF THE INTELLECTUAL FOUNDATION FOR ANTI-ENVIRONMENTAL ECONOMIC POLICIES.
BUT IF THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE ECONOMISTS WHO WROTE A BOOK CALLED 'NATURE'S NUMBERS'
ARE FOLLOWED, SUCH FLAWS IN THE NATIONAL ACCOUNTING SYSTEM WILL BE CORRECTED.
THE NATIONAL INCOME AND PRODUCT ACCOUNTS (NIPA), WHICH UNDERGIRDS THE MEASUREMENT OF GDP,
WAS ORIGINALLY CONSTRUCTED TO TABULATE ONLY MARKET ACTIVITIES.
WHEN IT COMES TO THE ENVIRONMENT, THERE ARE THREE PROBLEMS WITH THE NIPA.
IT COUNTS THE UNSUSTAINABLE OVERHARVESTING OF FISHERIES AND FORESTS AND THE ACTIVITIES OF
POLLUTION-CAUSING FACTORIES AS ECONOMIC ACTIVITY WITH NO OFFSETTING DEDUCTIONS;
IT DEPRECIATES MAN-MADE CAPITAL, BUT LARGELY IGNORES THE DEPLETION OF NATURAL CAPITAL
SUCH AS OIL, FORESTS, AND UNDERGROUND AQUIFERS; AND IT FAILS TO COUNT THE NUMEROUS GOODS AND
SERVICES PROVIDED BY AIR, WATER, WETLANDS, AND COMPLEX ECOSYSTEMS -
OR EVEN THE VALUE OF VISITS TO YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK.
'NATURE'S NUMBERS' COMES DOWN SOLIDLY IN FAVOR OF GREEN ACCOUNTING.
IT CALLS FOR EXTENDING THE NIPA 'TO INCLUDE ASSETS AND PRODUCTION ACTIVITIES ASSOCIATED WITH
NATURAL RESOURCES AND THE ENVIRONMENT.' AND IT ARGUES AGAINST THE COMMERCE DEPARTMENT'S
EARLIER 'PHASED APPROACH' OF GRADUALLY ADDING 'SATELLITE ACCOUNTS' TO TEST THE INCLUSION OF
NEW CONCEPTS. INSTEAD, IT ADVOCATES A COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH OF DEVELOPING A SERIES OF
NONMARKET ACCOUNTS PARALLEL WITH THE NEAR-MARKET ACCOUNTS. THAT MEANS THAT AIR AND WATER
QUALITY (NONMARKET ACCOUNTS) WOULD BE INCLUDED ALONG WITH NEAR-MARKET ACTIVITIES LIKE COOKING
HAMBURGERS AT HOME AND THE SERVICES OF CONSUMER CAPITAL LIKE AUTOMOBILES AND WASHING
MACHINES. THE BOOK WAS ORIGINALLY PRODUCED AS A REPORT BY THE PANEL ON INTEGRATED ENVIRONMENTAL
AND ECONOMIC ACCOUNTING, WHICH WAS ESTABLISHED BY THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES,
AT THE REQUEST OF THE COMMERCE DEPARTMENT, REPORTEDLY AFTER A COUPLE OF CONGRESSMEN FROM
COAL-MINING STATES FORCED THE CESSATION OF COMMERCE'S MODEST ATTEMPTS AT GREEN ACCOUNTING
IN THE EARLY 1990S. THE PANEL WAS PACKED WITH HIGH-LEVEL ECONOMISTS AND TECHNOCRATS,
AND CHAIRED BY WILLIAM D. NORDHAUS, A FORMER MEMBER OF THE PRESIDENT'S COUNCIL OF ECONOMIC
ADVISERS AND PROVOST AT YALE, WHO HAS PUBLISHED EXTENSIVELY ON ENVIRONMENTAL ECONOMICS.
HIS ROLE INDICATES THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS PROJECT AND HOW MAINSTREAM GREEN ACCOUNTING IS
BECOMING. THIS IS A CAREFUL, INTELLIGENT, AND WEIGHTY BOOK ABOUT AN OFTEN COMPLEX
SUBJECT. (IT IS ALSO QUITE WELL-WRITTEN, FOR ITS GENRE.) AS SUCH, IT WILL PROVIDE AN IMPORTANT
BOOST TO THE EFFORTS FOR GREEN ACCOUNTING IN THE NIPA AND MAY BE DIFFICULT FOR CONGRESS TO
RESIST. IT SHOULD HELP MOVE US TO THE POINT WHERE PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT NO LONGER SHOWS
UP AS A DRAG ON GDP. (YET SOME WOULD ARGUE THAT ENVIRONMENTAL ACCOUNTING DOESN'T GO FAR ENOUGH.
REDEFINING PROGRESS, A SAN FRANCISCO-BASED PROGRESSIVE THINK TANK, MAINTAINS THAT WE ALSO NEED
TO INCORPORATE ACTIVITIES SUCH AS CRIME AND DIVORCE AS NEGATIVES AND COMMUNITY LIFE AND
VOLUNTEER ACTIVITY AS POSITIVES IN A TRUE MEASURE OF WELL-BEING - A 'GENUINE PROGRESS INDICATOR.')
NATURE'S NUMBERS: EXPANDING THE NATIONAL ECONOMIC ACCOUNTS TO INCLUDE THE ENVIRONMENT,
BY THE NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL. NATIONAL ACADEMY PRESS, 250 PAGES, $44.95.
FOR MORE INFO: NATIVE FOREST COUNCIL / PO BOX 2190 / EUGENE, OREGON 97402
541.688.2600 / FAX 689.9835 OR 461.2156 / WEB PAGE: http://www.forestcouncil.org!!!
*NIKOLA TESLA WAS AN ELECTRICAL INVENTOR THAT LIVED DURING THE LATE 1800'S INTO THE MID-1900'S
WHO WAS A BRILLIANT AND INFLUENTIAL PERSON, YET AN ENIGMA TO PRACTICALLY EVERYONE.
HIS MAIN CLAIM TO FAME WAS HIS INVENTION OF THE ALTERNATING CURRENT MOTOR,
BUT HE ALSO WORKED WITH RADIO-FREQUENCY ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVES,
(AND DESPITE THE CLAIMS MADE BY MARCONI, ACTUALLY DID INVENT THE IDEA OF RADIO AS WE KNOW IT TODAY...
IN FACT, THERE ARE NUMEROUS PATENTS WHICH BEAR THIS OUT)
IN WORKING WITH RADIO WAVES, TESLA CREATED THE TESLA COIL AS A MEANS TO GENERATE AND RECEIVE
THIS FORM OF ENERGY, AND WAS ALSO A GREAT MECHANICAL ENGINEER WHO PATENTED DOZENS OF DEVICES
RANGING FROM SPEEDOMETERS TO EXTREMELY EFFICIENT ELECTRICAL GENERATORS.
HE WAS ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR A GREAT MANY OTHER INVENTIONS AND DEVICES THAT WE TAKE FOR
GRANTED TODAY. HE ALSO POSTULATED THE ABILITY TO LOCATE OBJECTS IN THE AIR OR IN THE GROUND
USING RADIO WAVES, (TODAY WE CALL IT RADAR, AND WHEN USED TO PEER INTO THE HUMAN BODY, MRI)
CREATED RADIO-CONTROL DEVICES, AND HIS WORK WITH SPECIAL GAS-FILLED LAMPS SET THE STAGE FOR
THE CREATION OF FLUORESCENT LIGHTING. ONE OF HIS GREATEST THEORIES REGARDS THE WIRELESS
TRANSMISSION OF ELECTRICITY THROUGH THE EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE! http://www.apc.net/bturner/tesla.htm!!!
*THE NOVEMBER 2000 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION CAMPAIGN HAS ESTABLISHED THE GREEN PARTY AS A VIABLE
POLITICAL FORCE. THEY ARE NOW THE THIRD LARGEST PARTY, SUPPLANTING THE REFORM PARTY AS THE
MAJOR COMPETITION TO THE DEMOCRATIC AND REPUBLICAN PARTIES. THE GREEN PARTY IS ALIVE AND WELL!!!
*MEDEA BENJAMIN IS RUNNING FOR U.S SENATE IN 2004!!! GO TO: http://www.medeaforsenate.org!!!
*TO KEEP UP WITH GREEN PARTY PROGRESS, GOT TO:
http://www.votenader.org!!!
*THE MAJOR RESULTS OF ONE LABORATORY AND THREE ON-ROAD DRIVING STUDIES REGARDING THE EFFECTS
OF THC (DELTA-9-TETRAHYDROCANNABINOL) UPON DRIVING PERFORMANCE WERE CONDUCTED AND THE RESEARCH
HAS SHOWN THAT THC PRODUCES ONLY A MODERATE DEGREE OF DRIVING IMPAIRMENT WHICH IS RELATED TO
THE CONSUMED THC DOSE. DRIVERS UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF MARIJUANA RETAIN INSIGHT INTO THEIR
PERFORMANCE AND WILL COMPENSATE WHERE THEY CAN (E.G., BY INCREASING DISTANCE BETWEEN VEHICLES
OR INCREASING EFFORT) AS A CONSEQUENCE, THC'S ADVERSE EFFECTS ON DRIVING PERFORMANCE APPEARED
RELATIVELY SMALL IN THE TESTS EMPLOYED IN THIS PROGRAM!!!
FOR MORE INFORMATION GO TO: http://mojo.calyx.net/~olsen/HEMP/IHA/iha01206.html!!!
*YOU CAN OPPOSE STATE OF CALIFORNIA BILL AB2595, GO TO: http://www.drcnet.org/states/california!!!
*HELP GREENPEACE SAVE OUR PRECIOUS PLANET FROM DESTRUCTION THROUGH ONLINE ACTIVISM AND DONATIONS!!!
BECOME A GREENPEACE CYBERACTIVIST FOR MANY GOOD CAUSES THAT INCLUDE NORTH AND SOUTH AMERICAN
RAINFOREST PROTECTION AND OPPOSING WHALING BY NORWAY AND JAPAN!!/ GO TO: http://www.greenpeace.org!!!
*A 72 YEAR OLD CANADIAN ANTI-LOGGING PROTESTOR BLOCKED A LOGGING ROAD DESPITE A COURT INJUNCTION!!!
*LIK ROPER HAS RELEASED A NEW SONG ON CD CALLED 'LIK ROPER - RITUAL 4:05',
AND HOPES TO HAVE ANOTHER FULL LENGTH CD AVAILABLE SOMETIME IN 2001!!!
*ROPER WISDOM: 'PART OF EVOLUTION IS KNOWING
WHAT ELEMENTS OF THE PAST
ARE WORTH HOLDING ON TO,
AND WHAT SHOULD BE LET GO'...
'CREATION BEGAT DESTRUCTION -
NATURAL SELECTION BEGAT
RAMPANT ANARCHISTIC ALTRUISM
AND BENEVOLENCE'...
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LIK ROPER FOR PRESIDENT 2004
WHEN I AM PRESIDENT I WILL:
*CONSIDER ALL CONSTITUENTS HONORABLE.
*PUSH FOR EFFICIENT AND CLEAN MASS TRANSIT SYSTEMS THAT WOULD NOT ONLY GREATLY REDUCE OUR DEPENDENCE ON OIL, BUT REDUCE TRANSPORTATION COSTS, POLLUTION AND TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS.
*FAVOR ENERGY PRICE CAPS AND
RESHAPE OUR ENERGY POLICY TO FAVOR CLEANER, MORE EFFICIENT TECHNOLOGIES,
(SUCH AS SOLAR) BY SUBSIDIZING THE INSTALLATION OF PHOTOVOLTAIC SOLAR ENERGY PANELS ON COMMERCIAL, INDUSTRIAL AND RESIDENTIAL ROOFTOPS AND CREATE LARGER TAX BREAKS FOR ALL SOLAR ENERGY USERS.
*CALL FOR A NEW INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION
IN WHICH ECOLOGY, ACCOUNTABILITY AND
PROFIT BECOME PARTNERS ON EQUAL FOOTING
IN THE GLOBAL ECONOMY.
*IMPOSE DRASTIC SANCTIONS ON
NORWAY AND JAPAN TO OPPOSE WHALING.
*HEAD OFF PROJECTS THAT HARM WILDLIFE HABITAT, ESPECIALLY WETLANDS-DAMAGING
DEVELOPMENT OUTSIDE URBAN BOUNDARIES
TO ENSURE THE PROTECTION OF CRITICAL HABITAT FOR RARE AND ENDANGERED SPECIES.
*ENCOURAGE THE GROWTH OF TRADE UNIONS - NOW AT A SIXTY-YEAR LOW IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR - TO PROTECT WORKER'S RIGHTS.
*MAKE CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS APPLICABLE TO ALL PEOPLE (AS WELL AS THOSE INVOLVED IN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS),
AND ENSURE THAT ALL PEOPLE RESERVE THEIR FULL CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS WHEN ENTERING ANY COURTROOM OR
PUBLIC HEARINGS FACILITY.
*WILL NOT WHIP OUT VAGUELY WRITTEN
'DOMESTIC TERRORISM' LAWS TO CONTROL ANGRY NON-VIOLENT CONSTITUENTS WHEN FORCEFULLY SHOVING MORE HEAVY-HANDED GOVERNMENT LEGISLATION DOWN THE COLLECTIVE THROATS OF THE PUBLIC.
*WILL NOT USE THE C.I.A., F.B.I.
(OR THE MEDIA) TO CREATE HIGH PROFILE DISTRACTIONS FROM LARGER,
MORE IMPORTANT STORIES OR ISSUES.
*NOT REQUIRE DOGGY DIAPERS,
INCREASE ILLEGAL POOPING FINES
AND CRACK DOWN ON LEG HUMPING AND
INAPPROPRIATE SNIFFING BY DOGS
ROAMING STATE OR FEDERAL BEACHES.
*TEACH CHILDREN NEVER TRUST THE GOVERNMENT BECAUSE THEY ARE A DANGEROUS CROSS BETWEEN A HEAVILY ARMED GANG, A DOGMATIC RELIGIOUS CULT AND A CORPORATION WITH A STRANGLEHOLD MONOPOLY ON SOCIETY.
*BE THE PROUD LEADER OF
THE SECOND AMERICAN REVOLUTION.
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