Marchers in S.F. push for end to fossil fuel use

With shouts demanding an end to fossil fuels, hundreds of people marched, biked and scooted down Market Street on Saturday as part of a global Moving Planet day.

Some were dressed as polar bears and fish, while others carried signs calling for better public transit, more solar and wind energy, and cleaner air. Many participants took the opportunity to blast plans for a pipeline that would carry crude oil from the tar sands of western Canada into the United States. But everyone was there to express concern at the growing carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere.

San Leandro teacher Maureen Forney was dressed as a red-legged frog, a species once ubiquitous in the Bay Area but now threatened. And San Francisco resident Jennifer Harris donned a polar bear hat to march with her 2-year-old daughter, Harper.

"Having her made me realize even more how we need to take action now - it makes this more personal," Harris said. "And I want her to understand that in a democracy, part of our responsibility is to show up and say what we want from our government."

Some here are missing the point. it’s obvious that these people would suffer greatly if they actually stopped using fossil fuel in any way shape or form. Indeed it’s likely that some of them know this.

The point is not that they should try to practice what they preach the point is that everyone else should be forced to do what they deem to be the right thing. They are aware that only an tiny fraction of the world’s population would actually agree to give up fossil fuel use even if by some fluke the world could be brought to point where a decision like that could be made (an unimaginable scenario in and of itself).

It’s not enough for them to live and let live. In their world view letting other people live the way they want to , i.e. by using fossil fuels, is a crime itself. The totalitarian impulse is barely beneath the surface here. I would not be surprised if, in the not too distant future, they abandon the Global Warming angle all together and begin to insist that fossil fuels are abandoned for the sole reason that they are a form of pollution. No rationale other than that. If the world will not be scared into accepting their vision for sustainability then the world must simply be forced. At first they will attempt outright banning fossil fuel use via legislation. This, obviously will not work and would be too slow of a process even if it could. A fever pitch will be hit in the minds of the true believers that will quickly convince them that drastic and illegal methods will have to be employed. What would these methods look like?

We can hope that their leadership will stop short of advocating terrorism in the name of environmental justice. Is it possible that someone, somewhere would be willing to blow themselves up and kill innocent people in order to effect change in the world? Recent history proves that if given enough fundamentalist programming people will gladly do it. Given enough righteous anger and moral outrage people will gladly sacrifice their lives and other’s lives in the name of an all consuming, reformist assault upon the non-believers of the world. After all we are not talking about religion here we are talking about a belief in the fact that we are collectively killing the very planet that literally makes life possible for humans and non-humans alike. What better cause could their be in the here and now. What better reason could be contemplated for a person lacking any religious affiliations? Who here doesn’t think that there are many radical environmentalist who secretly admire suicide bombers for their dedication to their cause. Those that are attracted to power of that act and it’s ability to deliver fear right to the enemies heart.

Check out Earth First! and its shadow terrorist group, ELF (Earth Liberation Front). They’ve been committing terrorist acts since at least the 80s, in the name of saving the environment. I remember an interview with one of the founders of Earth First! in which he said that if he were to find out he has incurable cancer, he’d load himself up with explosives and try to blow up the PG&E building in downtown LA, with the intent of taking out as many workers there as he could.

In other words, we’ve been dealing with eco-terrorism for a long time. It just doesn’t make the news.

You are correct. Eco-terrorism is already a reality. But, they have not really taken the next step and started killing innocent people on purpose. That’s why they admire the jihadists. The Earth First founder who fantasizes about getting cancer so he could blow himself up, as far as I know, never did it. Sounds like he only aspires to the level of commitment demonstrated by jihadis. Notice how he has to be sick and assured of his imminent death before contemplating a suicide bombing.

A lot of these groups are still trying to effect change through peaceful yet deceitful means. My question was what happens when they realize that their efforts are not and will not bear fruit. When the reality dawns on them that things are not going to pan out the way they’ve imagined. (Remember some of these individuals are so jacked up on apocalyptic, end-times, environmental propaganda porn that in their minds the entire planet and all life on it is, if things don’t change fast, going to end sometime in the next 50 to 100 years.) Some of them will likely give up the fight but others, after having dedicated so much of their energy and time to the cause will not be able to so easily walk away or “sell out”. These true believers might begin to accept the rationale of jihadi style terror. Instead of burning down developments and car dealerships they will start blowing themselves up in malls or schools. Whatever puts the most fear into the most people the fastest.

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