“The corporations don’t have to lobby the government anymore. They are the government.”
-Jim Hightower
I can’t say enough that my home state of Texas is becoming the next battlefield in the country’s dirty energy wars.
In a follow up to my “Deep in the Heart of Dirty Energy and False Solutions” blog posted last month, Texas has filed a lawsuit to defy the EPA’s new carbon rules. And now a Federal Appeals Court has sided with Texas and dirty industry!
Do we need more affirmation that Corporate America rules our government and our legal system?
Those oily Texas politicians that pimp for dirty energy’s corporate machine are challenging the EPA’s authority to enforce permits on factories and electricity-generating plants that emit a lot of greenhouse gases. Texas is the only state nationwide that has avoided the Obama Administration’s start up of greenhouse gas regulating this week. The legal fight is just beginning and the EPA expects to be in court in the coming weeks with a response.
Industry backed Republicans took over the both houses in the Texas state legislature with large majorities in November. Rick Perry is the longest serving governor in state history, is a darling of the right wing Tea Party movement and is in the pocket of Big Oil and Coal. The Texas Tea Party is large and fanatical in Texas. Big Oil, Big Coal, Natural Gas and lots of false solutions companies are running amok.
Big Oil and Big Coal own our political system. The politicians have appointed right wing judges to affirm corporate power. So this begs a bigger question, who is going to stand up to them? It’s time to challenge corporate power in Texas, the courts, the legislatures and the streets.
Lucy Parsons, Jim Hightower, Molly Ivins and many more have all been outspoken rabble-rousers from Texas. San Antonio, Austin, Houston and Dallas-Ft. Worth all have built progressive, radical and clean energy consciousness. Growing population demographics will be shifting the political spectrum which is why the GOP and their corporate benefactors are fighting so hard to maintain the status quo.
It’s not the right wing bastion every thinks it is and definitely won’t be in the future, but urgency around greenhouse gas emissions and environmental justice requires people, networks and movements to arise now.
It’s time to get off Facebook and make some trouble.
I appreciate your energy and dedication to this worthy cause. We need to keep the younger generations aware of the environmental destruction that occurs with toxic energy sources that depletes the soil and pollutes the food chain. It is at the grassroots level with children that we can promote positive environmental change. You are the seeds that will renew the future of planet Earth!
I commiserate with you, deeply. There ARE fine people in Texas; I grew
up in San Antone and Austin, had fabulous teachers in the public school
system, etc. But as you say, the corporate interests with their vast sums,
attorneys and preferential media access are still ruling (one day will
BE rueing) the day (there and everywhere).
I think we all should recall the ’80′s solidarnoscz (-sp?)in Poland, which truly
routed Communism there. Without the Gdansk boatyard workers and Lech Walensa
even Gorby, Ron and JPII would have had to toil way longer for Glasnost.
So, Texas, become inspired! Don’t believe that corporate execs know the
best way for the U.S. to live, ignoring good science, published reports and
available evidence over TV. Big Corporate America’s current and past practices are
a threat to health AND liberty, never forget it.
Use all available media, including facebook, to air your concerns and complaints.
We all have the right to live; let’s act like we know that, and stop leading a
merely personal existence. Our priorities must shift to the more consequential,
more community-minded, or dark predictions will become reality.
I can just about PROVE that our priorities are horribly skewed: this post has had
few comments, but a blogpost cautioning women to avoid makeup mistakes got 600
responses! What more telling examples can you find?
(Some days I’m embarrassed to be a human being from such a society. But young
people like you, Sparki, give me reasons to hope.)
Best Regards,
Amber Ladeira
The Victory Song, in RAP:
The Deniers Have Won.
To all former believers we say, “welcome aboard“!
Now we can stop dividing environmentalism.
Systems Changed, climate didn’t.
System Change, not climate change.
Population control, not climate control.