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Rolla Peace News June 30, 2020 |
Dear Friends:Editor's note: Please send in your work. I think readers would love to see more variety in this newsletter.In this newsletter is: 1. NOON VIGIL FOR PEACE: THURSDAY, JULY 2, 2020 2. THE MISFIT MATHEMATICIAN (Tom's column, http://tomsager.org) It's All Connected 1. NOON VIGIL FOR PEACE: THURSDAY, JULY 2, 2020 We vigil for peace in front of the Rolla Post Office, THIS THURSDAY, JULY 2, FROM NOON TO 1:00 PM (and most subsequent Thursdays until Peace is established). Please join us again this Thursday in saying NO WAR AGAINST IRAN or any other country. The temperature is predicted to be in the 80s. If you do not feel comfortable standing with us in front of the Post Office, please consider driving by and showing your support for our message by honking your horn and flashing a peace sign. Note: Since there are so few of us, generally 2 or 3, no need to cancel; but let's maintain social distancing. 2. THE MISFIT MATHEMATICIAN (Tom's column, http://tomsager.org) It's All Connected A reader sends in this article from the New York Times detailing connections between emerging diseases (particularly COVID-19) and environmental destruction — a perfect illustration of the adage “Nature Bats Last.” The devastation we have done to natural ecosystems comes back to haunt us as zoonotic disease like COVID-19. Reading the article, I couldn't help feeling that we are going to get hit by disease upon disease until we learn that we are a part of Nature — not separate from it and definitely not holding dominion over it. I think Nature is trying to teach us something. We ignore the lesson at our own peril. Here's another article from Institute for Policy Studies detailing what may be the most important connection: Militarism and Climate Change. This has been a major theme in my writing; so I was very glad to see this excellent article. War and Climate Change feed on each other. To take one example: War is a carbon intensive activity. Tanks and fighter planes run on petroleum-based products, lots of it, and are heavy emitters of carbon dioxide, causing Climate Change. The changing climate in turn leads to disruption and scarcity of resources which makes War more likely. And here's an article from the Guardian discussing another connection between Climate Change and disease. Climate Change makes natural disasters more likely. People fleeing natural disasters, like fires, end up crowding into shelters and camps where disease is easily spread. And one final connection: Inequality. If we can't look at each other as equals, how are we going to join together to tackle so many common problems. So what's the solution? Learn to live in harmony with each other and with Nature. Sounds easy when you put it that way. Stop looking at ourselves as being exceptional. We're all in this together. If humanity is to survive, we'll have to replace “Make America Great” with “Make Nature Great.” The part can never be greater than the whole. Rolla Peace News is distributed by email once a week on Tuesday evenings (except on rare occasions) and is posted on the web at http://tomsager.org (click on Grassroots Rolla: at the top of rightmost column). If you don't wish to get notices of peace events in the Rolla area, let me know and I'll take you off this list. If you want to be added to this list, let me know. Wage peace, Tom yushasager (at) yahoo.com |