Double-duty death: War and environmental destruction    

We are all too familiar with war's impact on people and politics, but how often do we consider its damage to the Earth? The Green Zone: The Environmental Costs of Militarism provides a frightening glimpse of the ecological menace known as the U.S. armed forces.

Barry Sanders' research met obstacles at every turn. Information is secret, not measured or recorded, not available to the public. Nevertheless, this Pulitzer Prize nominated author substantiates a sobering and terrifying conclusion: The U.S. military is not only the greatest polluter on the planet, but is playing the lead role in speeding us toward a global warming catastrophe.... Read more... 

By guest author Abbie Jenks   

More people are recognizing the need to change behavior in order for our world to sustain itself, now and for future generations. Facing such challenges as global climate change, environmental degradation due to wars, harmful corporate practice, personal consumer habits, and resource depletion, we must learn how to work together collaboratively instead of competitively.

The Peace, Justice and Environmental Studies program at Greenfield Community College is an example of approaching these issues from a systems or ecological perspective... Read more... 

By Kathie Malley-Morrison

Humiliation is clearly a means for showing disregard and contempt, and is perhaps particularly insidious because it can be done without any direct physical contact.

Countless experts on the Middle East have made note of centuries of humiliation by Christian invaders. Those invaders took land and resources by force, divided peoples up into arbitrarily created countries to weaken political and military resistance, and denigrated the most popular religion of the area.

Because of wide recognition of the destructive aftermath of humiliation, the Preamble of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights begins by stressing the importance of... Read more... 

Otterly entertained by the Golden Rule 

Book review of Laurie Kelley's Do Unto Otters: A Book about Manners  

by guest reviewer Jill Zingarelli 

We all remember the Golden Rule, right? It was drilled into us at home, in grade school and summer camp. Now that we are a bit older and hopefully well-practiced in its virtuous ways, let us re-visit the Golden Rule one more time.

Okay, here it goes: "Do unto otters, as you would have otters do unto you."

Otters??  That's right, at least according to Laurie Keller, author of the new children's book Do Unto Otters: A Book About Manners.

In Keller's book, Mr. Rabbit anxiously waits for a family of otters to move in next door. A wise owl tells him to treat the otters the way he would want to be treated. This leads Mr. Rabbit to reflect ... Read more...