I Think We’re Finally Turning the Corner in the Fight for a Sustainable Future

August 31, 2016, John Hanno

 

I think we’re finally turning the corner in the fight for a sustainable future for mankind and against this mad rush to blanket America with ticking time bomb oil pipelines and to drill, frack and extract every ounce of fossil fuel, before American’s and our legislatures and courts come to their senses. This stand by the Native Tribe’s affiliated with the Sacred Stone Camp has struck a nerve with America’s environmental and progressive communities. We’re collectively appalled by this latest attack on American’s who have been dumped on for hundreds of years. We say enough is enough. Unlike fossil fuel proponents and political panderers, these Native Americans have a sacred and spiritual connection to their land and water.

There’s no shortage of examples of the environmental damage done by oil drilling, fracking and pipeline operations throughout America. Fossil Fuel interests have contaminated private and public water wells, lakes and rivers used for drinking water and underground water aquifers, in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, California, Michigan, North Dakota and anywhere the Army Corps and mostly Republican legislatures and state agencies have given carte blanche approval to these companies.

Great swaths of Canada, North and South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas and others are under siege from Canadian Company Enbridge’s pipeline network expansion. American’s can stop Keystone clone Dakota Access and shut down Line 3 and it’s replacement if we stand up in unprecedented numbers. We must oppose and delay these interests until renewable energy can prevail. It won’t be easy. As soon as the Army Corps approves these pipelines, they’re rubber stamped by controlling State agencies. Then as soon as these pipeline companies are granted eminent domain authority, they try to intimidate landowners. And that authority ties the hands of state courts. The only issue these state courts then rule on is the compensation to the landowners. And its seldom in the landowners favor.

I fought Enbridge when they wanted to take part of my organic farm for pipeline 78. I told them I didn’t want their dirty tar sand pipeline anywhere near my organic farm. The easement they wanted me to sign, granted them the ability to “abandon in place” when they’re finished with the pipeline. When I refused, they filed an eminent domain action against us. We lost in state court but our case was appealed. These illegal eminent domain actions must finally be addressed by a superior court. You can read our story at gofundme.com/2xpggwfw.

We believe that private foreign companies like Enbridge, (who just announced plans to acquire a portion of the Dakota Access) taking American’s property for private gain by eminent domain violates the 5th Amendment (takings clause) to the U.S. Constitution and also State Constitutions. It also violates Native American Treaties and Sovereignty.

The lawsuit by DAPO against a sovereign nation tribe is just the latest attempt at intimidation. More than 100,000 protestors, Native tribes, farmers, landowners and activists from Bold Nebraska, the Sierra Club, IL Climate Activists and others, inspired President Obama to decide against approving Keystone XL. That case was headed to the Nebraska Sup Court.

What will it take to wake America up, a catastrophic spill on the magnitude of a ruptured 65 year old Pipeline 5 under the straights of Mackinac, which could contaminate at least 2 Great Lakes and at least 700 miles of shoreline in both Canada and the U.S.? Would that finally be enough?

After America finally gives up its addiction to fossil fuels and fully embraces alternative energy, who’s going to dig up all these 200,000 miles of old decaying oil pipelines, some full of toxic tar sands and chemicals? I believe that 10,15 or 20 years from now, these oil and pipeline companies will be the new coal companies, failing and headed into bankruptcy. Are the oil and pipeline companies like Enbridge going to “abandon them in place”; just leave them in the ground until they rust away and leak whatever is left in the pipes into the nations aquifers and contaminate our drinking water and wells? We know the cleanup will be foisted onto the land owners and taxpayers.

But we can’t rely on our governments and courts to save America’s water. I’m afraid there’s not much hope the pending September 9th court ruling on DAPL will stop that pipeline, unless the utility agencies sidestepped environmental law. And the court action blocking eminent domain actions against Iowa landowners is only a temporary obstacle for DAPO. I believe the only hope of stopping this insanity lies with President Obama and an executive order. Common Sense American’s must stand up in such numbers that the President can’t ignore his duty to protect our environment. We can live without oil, but as we’ve seen in the drought regions out west, we cannot live without water.

Stand up any way you can. Support Bold Nebraska, IL Climate Activists, 350 Kiswaukee, MN350, The Sierra Club, Action Network.org, Bold Iowa, the Sacred Stone Camp gofundme campaign and anyone else who believes in environmental common sense. I believe our Native American brothers and sisters may just stop this pipeline.

Hau we are the Inyan wakankagapi otip-Sacred Stone Camp from the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe.   We have partnership with the Oectc  Sakowin- Seven Council Fires,…
gofundme.com

“America Has Lost It’s Fracking Mind”

August 20, 2016

“America Has Lost It’s Fracking Mind”

Hundreds of pipeline oil spills and fracking and drilling have contaminated private and public water wells, lakes and rivers used for drinking water and underground water aquifers. From Pennsylvania and Ohio, to Oklahoma, Texas and California (and anywhere the Army Corp and legislatures have given carte blanche approval to oil, gas and pipeline interests), these operations have contaminated folks drinking water. Google Kalamazoo River and Santa Barbara oil spills.

There’s a mad rush to drill, frack and pipe for export, every ounce of fossil fuel asset, before American’s and our legislatures and courts come to their fracking senses. It’s not easy standing up to these companies. They have more power than God and more money than the U.S. Government. These companies try to intimidate landowners. I stood up to Enbridge when they wanted to take part of my organic farm for Pipeline 78 in Illinois. I forced them to move it off my land. You can read our story at gofundme.com/2xpggwfw.

Enbridge was responsible for the July 2010 Kalamazoo River oil spill, which occurred when the 6B pipeline burst and spilled 1,100,000 US gallons of tar sand oil into a tributary of the Kalamazoo River. A six-foot break in the pipeline resulted in the largest inland oil spill in U.S. history. The pipeline carries diluted bitumen (dilbit), or tar sand oil from Canada’s Athabasca tar sands to the United States. The Calhoun County, Michigan Health Department told 30 to 50 households to evacuate, and twice as many were told not to drink their water. The heavy tar sands sunk to the bottom of the river. Thirty-five miles of the river were closed for 2 years. In March 2013, the Environmental Protection Agency ordered Enbridge to return to dredge portions of the river to remove submerged oil and contaminated sediment.

And these pipeline company spill detection guarantees  are a load of bull. Although alarms sounded in Enbridge’s Edmonton headquarters at the time of the ruptured pipeline, it was eighteen hours before a Michigan utilities employee reported oil spilling and the pipeline company learned of the spill. Meanwhile, pipeline operators had thought the alarms were possibly caused by a bubble in the pipeline and, while for a time it was shut down, they subsequently increased pressure for extended periods to try to clear the possible blockage, spilling even more oil. The cost of the six year old clean-up has surpassed $1.3 billion dollars; it’s still not cleaned up and probably never will be. Sections of the river remain restricted because of the ongoing cleanup.

In the summer of 2012, the United States Department of Transportation “fined Enbridge $3.7 million dollars and listed 22 probable violations that happened relating to the spill.” And a number of those violations, concern what happened in the Edmonton pipeline control room. One of the reasons for the enormous escalation in time and expense of the cleanup was that the EPA had never handled a tar sand oil spill. In addition, it is reported that Enbridge never informed the EPA of the distinction in the properties of tar sands oil. Unlike conventional crude oil, tar sand oil floats briefly in water but then sinks, causing a much more difficult cleanup, especially if dredging is considered too ecologically damaging. This disaster was the largest on-land spill in American history to date.

In July 2012, the National Transportation Safety Board, the U.S. federal agency with regulatory authority over the failed pipeline, issued a report outlining the official conclusion of the investigation into the incident. The investigators found that Enbridge, which had received an automated signal from the pipeline that a breach had occurred, misunderstood or did not believe the signal and continued to pump tar sand oil through the pipeline for 17 hours after the breach. Local firefighters were notified, and tried to locate the southern Michigan wetland site of the breach, but were initially unable to do so, further delaying the shutdown of the line.

The NTSB investigation report pointed to corrosion fatigue as the underlying cause of the catastrophic breach. The incident was exacerbated by the pipeline’s disbonded tape coating, that emerald green coating we see on all these pipelines. NTSB Chair Deborah Hersman likened “Enbridge’s poor handling of the spill to the Keystone Cops”, asking: “Why didn’t they recognize what was happening, and what took so long?” NPR reported that “NTSB investigators determined that the six-foot break in the pipe was caused by a flaw in the outside lining which allowed the pipe to crack and corrode. In 2005, Enbridge actually had learned that this section of pipe was cracked and corroding. That same 2005 internal report pointed to 15,000 defects in the 40-year-old pipeline. But Enbridge decided not to dig up this (Talmadge Creek) area to inspect it.”

“In 2013, while deliberating on the Keystone XL pipeline proposal, the EPA recommended to the State Department that pipelines that carry tar sands oil should no longer be treated just like pipelines that carry other crude oil. Stephen Hamilton, an ecology professor at Michigan State University and the independent science adviser at Talmadge Creek, detailed the challenges and expense of the still-ongoing Michigan cleanup.” They estimate that about 180,000 gallons of Line 6B oil remain in the river bottom sediment after cleanup activities through 2012. On March 14, 2013, the EPA issued a new order to Enbridge to remove this oil and oil-contaminated sediment.

The 2015 Santa Barbara oil spill from a 34 year old pipeline that had worn away by 80% to 1/16 of an inch from external corrosion spewed 143,000 gallons of oil onto pristine beaches and killed more than 300 animals after they failed to initially detect the spill and then restarted the line after stopping. That pipeline company was indicted on dozens of criminal charges and could face fines of nearly $3 million. Is there any question that these new pipelines, which pump sand embedded tar at high pressures won’t wear through these 1/2 inch thick pipelines?

What will it take to wake America up, a catastrophic spill on the magnitude of a ruptured 65 year old Pipeline 5 under the straights of Mackinac, which would contaminate at least 2 of our Great Lakes and at least 700 miles of shoreline in both Canada and the U.S.? Would that finally be enough? And after America finally gives up its addiction to fossil fuels and fully embraces alternative energy, who is going to dig up all these 250,000 miles of old decaying oil pipelines, some full of toxic tar sands and chemicals? I believe that 10,15 or 20 years from now, these oil and pipeline companies will be the new coal companies, failing and headed into bankruptcy. Are the oil and pipeline companies like Enbridge going to abandon them and just leave them in the ground until they rust away and leak whatever is left in the pipes into the nations aquifers and contaminate our drinking water and wells? We know the cleanup will be foisted onto the land owners and taxpayers.

Americans must stand up to those who couldn’t care less about protecting our water. We must oppose and delay these interests until renewable energy can prevail. We’re getting closer every day. Germany is powered with 45% renewable. Costa Rica was powered for an entire quarter by 100% renewable. Fortune 100, 200 and 500 corporations and even oil companies are investing heavily in renewables. Even Apple plans to build electric autos. And oil rich Texas is heavily investing in wind energy. We are finally investing in off-shore wind farms. Alternative energy is getting cheaper every day. Folks and Universities who have supported divestitures of fossil fuel companies has caused investment in dirty Alberta tar sands to be cut by two thirds.

The lawsuit by DAPO against a sovereign nation tribe is just the latest attempt at intimidation. Native tribes, farmers and activists like Bold Nebraska, the Sierra Club and IL Climate Activists stopped Keystone XL. That case was headed to the Nebraska Supreme Court before President Obama decided against approving the pipeline.

We can stop DAPL and shut down Line 3 and its replacement brothers and sisters. I believe these eminent domain lawsuits violate the 5th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (takings clause), and Native American Treaties and Sovereignty. Foreign companies taking Americans property for private gain is buffalo dung. Although difficult, we can live without oil, but as we’ve seen in the drought regions out west, we cannot live without water.

Unfortunately we can’t rely on our governments and courts to save America’s water. Please stand up any way you can. Support Bold Nebraska, IL Climate Activists, 350.org, 350 Kiswaukee, MN350, The Sierra Club, Action Network.org, Bold Iowa, the Sacred Stone Camp gofundme campaign and anyone else who believes in environmental common sense. And vote in November for progressive Earth Protectors.

Jan, Great info & I wish you luck with your struggle, as well. The Sierra Club & 30 plus other environmental groups have written a letter to President Obama.

John,   Thanks Jan. I signed.

Stephen,  So you folks know, you can message the President at White House Facebook. Even works for Australians.

John,   Thank you Stephen. I sent a letter on their Facebook. It really is a small world, especially now that global warming has caused these powerful storms that circle the earth in a single day. What we do here in America and elsewhere effects our neighbors around the world.

The Origins of The Tarbaby

John Hanno   March 30, 2017

“Origins of The Tarbaby”

For thousands of years, storytellers of mythologies and folklore around the globe and from every culture have used animals to tell their stories. Rabbits (the cunning tricksters) and Foxes (often portrayed disparagingly) have played prominent roles.

Some of America’s most popular stories draw from Aesop, a slave and storyteller believed to have lived in Greece between 620 and 564 BC. First published in English in 1484, he created stories using various intelligent animals to illustrate an important morality, “the moral of the story”. One of Aesop’s Fables, “The Fox and the Grapes” told of the fox in a vineyard trying to get at the grapes hanging from the vines. Hard as he tried, he couldn’t reach the grapes. He took solace in the fact that they were probably sour anyway. The moral of that story is: people sometimes belittle things they can’t have. This fable brought about the popular expression, “sour grapes”.

These oral stories, eventually transcribed long after Aesop’s death, have been passed down for millennia. The fables were originally written for adults and encompassed social, religious and political themes, but were eventually used for the education and enlightenment of children. Some first appeared in the bible (A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing). These stories, parables or fables, having been passed down orally, transcribed, and eventually translated into dozens of languages, are colored and reinterpreted by cultures and religions throughout the world. No doubt 10’s of millions of stories, fables and interpretations did not emanate solely from Aesop but were created and nurtured  independently from the hearts and minds of folklorists trying to establish a moral compass and to cope with a world rife with danger, bondage, war and chaos.

It’s believed that interpretations of these fables were brought to the new world by slaves. Some also originated from European and Native American traditions. Joel Chandler Harris (December 9, 1845 – July 3, 1908) was an American journalist, fiction writer and folklorist best known for his Uncle Remus stories. Harris was born in Eatonton Georgia. He worked as an apprentice on a plantation as a teen and recorded these slave tales. He spent most of his adult life working as an associate editor at the Atlantic Constitution. He worked and supported racial reconciliation during and after Reconstruction. He recorded many Brer Rabbit stories from the African-American oral traditions and thereby revolutionized children’s stories.

One of his most popular stories, from his collection of American African Fables, The Uncle Remus stories was “Brer Rabbit and the Tarbaby.” Harris published the stories in the dialect used by African slaves. There are no doubt dozens or more versions of  the Tarbaby story, but one later interpretation printed in English, is a version we were told as children. Like the statement orally repeated down a long line of people, where that statement often changes markedly by the time it gets to the end, this is my own version. Feel free to pass on your own versions. And if you’re really ambitious, you can relate the stories in Harris’s original slave dialect.

One day Brer (Brother) Fox, Brer Wolf, Brer Bear and Brer Possum and all the other animals, except Brer Rabbit, decided to dig a well. Brer Rabbit refused to help and only wanted to play. After the animals dug the well, they decided to plough the field and plant corn. But again Brer Rabbit refused to help and only wanted to play. When the animals asked what Brer Rabbit would do when he needed water and corn, he said he would just go and take it.

After the well was dug and the corn was planted and cut, Brer Rabbit just came along and helped himself to it. Brer Fox, Brer Wolf, Brer Bear, Brer Possum and all the other animals decided to catch Brer Rabbit so he couldn’t steal their water and corn any more. But Brer Rabbit was very clever, and nobody could catch him. Brer Wolf took some straw and made it into a baby with a head, arms, legs, a body, and he covered it with sticky black tar until the tar baby looked just like a real baby. Then he sat Tar Baby right next to the well and went away.

Brer Rabbit came along, saw Tar Baby and stopped. He thought it was a real person sitting there. But he needed the water, so he said politely: ‘Good evening, sir. Fine weather we’re having, sir!’ But the Tar Baby made no reply. Brer Rabbit came closer and asked politely, ‘How is your mother, sir? And your grandmother? And your children? And all the rest of your family?’ But still the Tar Baby made no reply. Brer Rabbit came closer and still Tar Baby did nothing and said nothing. Then Brer Rabbit said, ‘You there! Get out of my way!’ But still Tar Baby said nothing. ‘You there!’ said Brer rabbit again. ‘If you don’t move out of my way, I’ll hit you with this paw!’ And he held up his right paw. Tar Baby still said nothing. So Brer Rabbit hit him on the head, and Brer Rabbit’s paw got stuck in the tar and he couldn’t pull it loose! Then Brer Rabbit began to shout, ‘Let me go, let me go!’ But Tar Baby wouldn’t let him go. So Brer Rabbit hit him with his left paw, and with his right foot, and with his left foot – and they all got stuck in the tar! Now Brer Rabbit was very angry, and butted Tar Baby with his head – and his head got stuck in the tar! Brer Rabbit pulled and pulled, but couldn’t get loose, and there he had to stay till the morning, when Brer Wolf came by to see what he had caught.  ‘Good morning, Brer Rabbit,’ said Brer Wolf. ‘How are you this morning? You seem to be a little stuck today!’ And Brer Wolf laughed until his stomach hurt. Brer Rabbit said nothing. Brer Wolf picked up Brer Rabbit and said, ‘It seems you wanted water. So let me throw you into the well.’ ‘Yes Brer Wolf, throw me into the well, but please don’t throw me into that briar patch!’ cried Brer Rabbit. Brer Wolf looked surprised. Brer Rabbit wanted to be thrown into the well? ‘Well then, I will light a fire and roast you and eat you,’ said Brer Wolf. ‘Yes Brer Wolf. Light a fire and roast me and eat me, but please don’t throw me into the briar patch!’  Brer Wolf thought for a minute. ‘Brer Rabbit doesn’t mind the well, he doesn’t mind the fire. But he minds the briar patch!’ And Brer Wolf pulled Brer Rabbit loose from Tar Baby and threw him straight into the briar patch. ‘There now! The briars will poke him and jab him and hurt him!’ he said. Brer Wolf waited and listened for Brer Rabbit’s howls, but instead he heard Brer Rabbit laughing. ‘Thank you Brer Wolf, thank you for sending me back home,’ cried Brer Rabbit. ‘I and my family grew up in this briar patch!’ And off ran Brer Rabbit through the brambles.

When our father told us, in his own words, stories of Aesop and from the Joel Chandler Harris Uncle Remus books of children’s stories, he tried to impress on us the lessons to be learned; the principles of empathy, sharing, generosity, hard work, humility, cooperation and of taking responsibility.

In books and films and songs, the fables and parables of Aesop, Uncle Remus and others have taught many generations of American children and even adults these important principles. Many of these fables have ensconced themselves and their morality firmly into American literature, culture and our everyday vocabulary: Most are attributed to Aesop. Some of those principles are:

(Generosity and Greed) “The Goose That Laid the Golden Egg” or “The Dog and the Bone (Reflection)”

(Never trust someone who deserts you in need), “The Bear and the Travelers”

(Telling the Truth) “The Boy Who Cried Wolf”

(renown is accompanied by risks of which the humble are free)”The Bramble and the Fir”

(A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush) “The Fisherman and the Little Fish”

(The perils of flattery) “The Fox and the Crow”

(Honesty is the best policy) “The Honest Woodcutter”

(Carry your share of the load) “The Horse and the Donkey”

(Notoriety is often mistaken for fame) “The Mischievous Dog”

(Being charitable with your fortune) “The Miser and His Gold”

(Warning against the promises of politicians “Great cry and Little Wool”) “The Mountain in Labour”

(The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence) “The Ass and His Masters”

(Clothes may disguise a fool but his words will give him away) “The Ass in the Lions Skin”

(“In my opinion, Golden Rule, Better be lonely than be with a fool”) “The Bear and the Gardener”

(group of mice who debate plans to nullify the threat of a marauding cat) “Belling the Cat” or “The Mice in Counsel”

(When we are avoiding present dangers, we should not fall into even worse peril) “Jumping from the frying pan into the fire”

(One’s basic nature eventually betrays itself) “Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing” From the Bible.

I will attempt through this blog, to use the lessons we were taught or should have learned from our parents growing up, to make sense of a world often obsessed with fortune, fame and winning at all costs. I’ll explore how they help to effect our nature, our ambitions, one’s humility, intelligence, temperament, compassion and how they nurture our souls. The modern day definition of a tarbaby is “a situation, problem, or the like, that is almost impossible to solve or to break away from.” In a legal sense, its a case that just won’t end or be resolved.

A Tarbaby, like Brer Rabbit’s dilemma, embodies something that appears worthy or profitable but turns out to be a grandiose illusion; It could be a person, a place or an object, or anything we lust after but may then regret getting.  There are tarbabys in every aspect of modern society. We’ll explore them together. I ask that anyone who contributes, to please respect the process; and to refrain from restating talking points repeated time and again. Please be creative, original and entertaining. And please respect the fact that younger folks and children might be contributing. Thank you, John Hanno