Redwood Peace and Justice Center

I want to thank the Redwood Peace and Justice Center for giving me use of their space and computers for my forest activism, and our People Project meetings. The Redwood Peace and Justice Center is a nonprofit community project which provides a resource network and physical space to empower local organizations and individuals committed to education and action in human rights, social justice, and nonviolence. Groups use the center for meetings, outreach, and organizing. The center brings different perspectives to the public through their retail space and info shop, and sells locally made handcrafts and fair trade imports as an alternative to corporate sweat shop manufactured goods. To contact them or make a donation go to http://rpjc.net/

Mattole Skillshare is Big Success

I spent last week at the Mattole Wildlands Defense Skillshare at the Mattole Beach. I thought it went quite well. The most surprising thing was that there was not a drop of rain for all seven days. One of the most popular wokshops was the Coyuntura, which is Spanish for conjunction. It taught us a new way of analysis and finding solutions to problems. Other worshops were: pocket pouch survival kit, plant identification, rebel media, foraging, yoga, and history of Mattole forest defense. As a blogger and photographer, I was particularly interested in the rebel media workshop.

Students Protest Cuts to Native American Studies Dept.

This morning, about sixty students entered the office of Humboldt State University President Rollin Richmond, and occupied his office for one hour. Ricmond tried to engage the protesters in conversation, but for the most part the students remained silent with arms locked together to make their point. Many of the students wore t-shirts saying "Support Native American and ethnic studies" and "Stop Academic & cultural & spiritual genocide". They are unhappy that two or three instructors are to be let go. University police showed up shortly after the protest began, but there were no arrests.

Anti-war Protest in Eureka

This morning, about thirty people protested against the Iraq war, at Congressman Mike Thompson's office in Eureka. After displaying signs and banners outside, the demonstrators went inside to express their concerns to office manager Liz Murguia. The protesters want Thompson to support Lynn Woolsey's House Resolution 508. They will demonstrate again at the office next Monday, and a larger protest will be held on Saturday, March 17 at noon at the Eureka Courthouse. Townhall meetings are planned for sometime after that, as local activists try to ramp up opposition to Bush's war policy.

Large Turnout for PALCO Bankruptcy Talk

There was a large turnout of concerned community members tonight, to hear Peter Clapp talk about the Pacific Lumber Company's Capter 11 bankruptcy. Clapp, a bankruptcy attorney and teacher, spoke at the River Lodge Conference Center in Fortuna. Clapp said the two key issues were the valuation of the company, and the feasability of sustainable harvests. Many of the questions submitted by the audience, indicated that members of the timber industry community are worried about their pensions. The company's debts total about $750 million. The company,s main asset is it's 200,000 acres of timberlands.

Mattole Forest Slide Show

Wildlands Defense Skillshare Gathering March 11th to 18th

Mattole Wildlands Defenders invite you to join us at our skillshare this spring. Tentative dates are from March 11th to 18th. Workshops will include; Direct Action Training, Backwoods Skills, Tree Climbing, Plant Identification, Fire Building, Shelter Building and Blockading. The gathering will be in Humboldt County, exact location to be announced. People planning to attend are encouraged to call ahead of time.We will be preparing to defend the Old-Growth Forest and waters of the North Fork Mattole River from Maxxam/Pacific Lumber. The company is expected to try and get the watercourse protections weakened this summer to allow logging closer to streams.contact # (707) 834-3100

God is green, but “Christian” churchs are not

“Christians” make a big show of saying that they base their actions and beliefs on what God says in the Bible. But the evidence shows that they don’t.
The God of the Bible, over and over again, tells people about the greatness and importance of the natural creation, and chides people for only revering the things that they make with their own hands. The story of Noah’s ark shows that God expects humans to go to extrordinary lengths to make sure that none of the animal species go extinct, even if humans are not the cause of the threat. How much more would God expect them to act, if they are the cause! In Revelation 11:18, God warns that he is coming to destroy those who destroy the Earth.
If “Christians” really believed in God, and cared about what the Bible says, then they would be leading environmentalists and they’re not.

Dennis Kucinich for President

Dennis Kucinich is deeply committed to environmental protection, alternative energy, carbon gas reduction, sustainability, and stopping the logging of our National Forests. He was an early and bold critic of the Iraq War, and favors witdrawing our troops. Congressman Kucinich is also one of the few vegans in Congress.

For more information check out the official campaign website at http://www.kucinich.us/

Word Sorcery

The Bush admiistration is trying to fool the American people with double speak or word sorcery. They change the name of something to get the people to support something that the people wouldn't support otherwise. Bush's "surge" used to be called escalation. Their "classic counter-insugency" used to be pacification. What failed in Vietnam, they use again with a different name, as if it's something brand new.