Detroit Incinerator Protest

Saturday, June 26, 2010, Detroit—Protest against Detroit incinerator. We were told that this is the "largest incinerator in the world." It's a privately owned for-profit company that does the job. It's called Covato, or something like that. I'll look it up and make any corrections.

Also, it's hard to see smoke, but there is a nasty odor in the exhaust plume. I wonder if the particularly nasty stuff gets burned at night, or if the smoke has been cleaned up for the presence of out-of-towners with the forum this week. There was a very nasty odor when we walked downwind of the facility.

Detroit doesn't have a recycling program, so waste plastic, styrofoam and other toxics may very well be included in the waste that is burnt at the incinerator. Disgusting thought.

One organizer mentioned the concept of Zero Tolerance: There is no safe, nor allowable level for toxic emissions. Any toxins are unacceptable. For example, if the incinerator releases even one particle of dioxin, then it must be shut down. I agree. Especially if it is run for-profit.

No one deserves to profit from activities that do harm.

It was a great protest, I have a ton of photos. More later!

[more photos from the protest here: //peacepotential.blogspot.com/2010/07/more-photos-from-detroit-incinerator.html]

Scenes from the Apocolypse (Day 4 at the US Social Forum in Detroit)

My friend just drove through East Detroit. I'm told that it looks like a scene from the Apocolypse. The houses still standing in disrepair, and only a few sparse houses still standing, with giant trees standing like sentinels, and some blocks are entirely razed to the ground every house collapsed. There are giant multi-story factories crumbling, with upper stories caving in...

What a story. What an indictment of our amoral/immoral boom and bust economy. I am thinking about a transition to a life-serving society, rather than one that presumes the possibility of enlightened and altruistic self-interest.

I believe progress is toward service, toward caring, toward a society that ensures the mutual uplift of all people, a society that is non-discriminatory.

I believe that the highest purpose for humanity on Earth is stewardship and care-taking, because I believe that the Earth does not belong to any one of us, nor to all of us collectively—rather it's the other way around, in that we belong to the Earth, and we are part of the Earth.

It's so sad to see the poverty that exists in the midst of so much abundance. So sad to see the racism that goes on to this day.

I had a conversation with a friend earlier about their parents opinion that poor people are to blame for their plight because they're lazy.

I am concerned that this type of thinking is all too prevalent in the mainstream, and is the result of ignorance and a misguided and incomplete understanding of systematic privilege and oppression, and the effects of violence and abuse on individuals and communities.

People suffer mistreatment and it causes impairment. It is incorrect to blame people with impairment for their subsequent disability. People who suffer with impairment ought to be supported and cared for, ought to be nurtured and accepted for their condition—as they are—and not subjected to pity, nor to discouragement based on their condition.

It's about unconditional love. And understanding that all people are good. And while some people behave in ways that aren't good (probably all of us do to some extent in this society (because society is not designed to serve life/our best interests of health and mutual prosperity) it makes sense to strive for understanding and for a world that works for all people, regardless of age, gender, religion, race, nationality, ethnicity, ability, and etc..

"Another world is possible. On a quiet day I can hear her breathing." —Arundhati Roy

Social Forum Day 3

Hey,

Interesting day today, lots to talk about. I did some laundry, and had an interesting bike ride a couple miles North from the WSU campus on Woodward. Laundromat was huge, and the machines worked well. The neighborhood was pretty depressed. Woodward was being repaved with some serious concrete slabs. I have to wonder what people are thinking by investing in this infrastructure when we know that our current societal addiction to fossil fuels is harmful and unsustainable and the cause of so much economic and environmental instability and injustice...

I went to an interesting workshop this morning. It was by an organization called Resource Generation (http://www.resourcegeneration.org/home.html), and I have some mixed emotions and (what I think are) deep thoughts about the workshop and some of the ideas that were presented. The workshop was titled, "Class Privilege and Activism." I think the crux of my discomfort related to the lack of analysis about the intrinsic harmful nature of the majority (if not all) of wealth generating activities... Basically, I think it makes the most sense to have a society that is economically egalitarian, because the real ways to happiness are less material than they are spiritual. Real happiness results from health, belonging, community, being part of a meaningful society.

So I was kind of distressed by how these young wealthy people were seemingly justifying or rationalizing their wealth based on fact that they're interested in being philanthropic. Like holding financial power over others, making the decision over who is going to get money and when?

I have more to write about this topic, I took some notes, hopefully I will have more energy to write on it tomorrow.

I saw Climbing PoeTree (http://www.climbingpoetree.com/) perform tonight, and enjoyed their performance. It's really electrifying. I encourage you to check out these talented performers.


Peace,
Berd

Day Two USSF Update from Detroit

I just posted an update about happenings in Detroit on OlyBlog, here.

USSF Opening March

USSF Opening Day

The United States Social Forum opened today with a march and a ceremony. The theme of the forum is that another world is possible, and another US is necessary in order to make that other world possible. The phrase Another World is Possible comes from Arundhati Roy.

Thousands of activists from all around the USA have converged upon the city of Detroit Michigan for the five days of the forum.

The opening ceremony was marked with great wisdom from a few local organizers and other visitors.

Detroit is an appropriate place to host the forum because the city has suffered in recent times the effects of a boom and bust economy that places profits before people.

Here's a photo from the march that led to the opening ceremony at COBO hall.


I'm tired. Although I wish I had more energy to write more about the march today and the ceremony!

I am looking forward to plugging in and learning more about the work to challenge the existing harmful culture, and to make the world a better place.

Peace,
Berd

Beautiful Flowers

These are flowers in the alley behind the house that I'm staying in in Detroit.

Update from Detroit Michigan

It's Monday, June 21, 2010. Happy Solstice!

I am in Detroit Michigan for the US Social Forum and the Allied Media Conference. The AMC ended yesterday, and the USSF begins tomorrow.

I participated in a workshop yesterday about health and healing. It was partly titled "Health is Dignity and Dignity is Resistance." I like that concept.

Today the plan is to participate in a Poor People's March.

Last night an incinerator fired up. The incinerator is less than a half mile away from the house I am staying in.

The last couple of mornings I have been experiencing an unusual nasal drip. I wonder if it is due to air pollution. And I wouldn't be surprised if it is. I worry that there might be plastic burning in the incinerator, which would create airborne dioxin.

Here's a photo from Detroit. My Internet access is limited, so I plan to upload more photos in the future, but here is one of the incinerator that is stationed so close to this residential neighborhood.

Lone Tree in Yellowstone National Park, June 2010

Beautiful nature in Yosemite!

Wayne State University McGregor Hall, Site of the AMC

Site of many AMC Workshops

Here's a slideshow of a few photos from the AMC: