Archive for May, 2025

“Oh human misery, how many things you must serve for money.” —Leonardo da Vinci 

It is an incredible sketch that Leonardo da Vinci drew between 1506 and 1512: bottles, rakes, lanterns, bagpipes, shears as well as other discarded goods have rained down on the Earth. He called it A cloudburst of material possessions. https://tinyurl.com/vinci-consumption

Perhaps it is the first artistic rendering of wasteful consumption. Of course, overconsumption has vastly accelerated since the 16th century, and now oil-derived plastics are found in our bodies and in the ocean. Plastics in the ocean will soon outweigh all the fish. 

The first thing that can be accomplished to put an end to this carnage is to find and prosecute the largest petrochemical companies responsible for the enormous destruction they have negligently inflicted upon the world. Later this month an entire article will be dedicated to the bane of plastics, but for now let’s meet some of the people and organizations that are making a difference around the world, often in small towns or in the countryside. Many individuals have been hugely successful in tenaciously confronting local corruption in corporations and governments large and small. Issues pertaining to wildlife, climate breakdown and energy, mining pollution and disenfranchisement of local populations, ocean and freshwater zones as well as environmental justice have long been focal points for campaigns.

Of course people like naturalist David Attenborough https://tinyurl.com/naturalist-attenborough Ecologist and Indigenous rights campaigner from India, S. Faizi https://tinyurl.com/ecologist-Faiziand Canada’s David Suzuki have long inspired actions that go on to galvanize whole communities to successfully demand legislation or litigation to protect ecologically pristine areas and support communities’ pollution-free rights against rampant greed. 

A classic example of how the public finds the courage to act was epitomized in the film Erin Brockovich. The film portrays a woman who stops a gas and electric company from continuing to flout regulations that were meant to stop groundwater contamination in Hinkley, California 30-plus years ago. 

The Goldman Environmental Prize was established in 1989 by Richard and Rhoda Goldman, who felt the strong need to give a public voice to and thus multiply the viability for “ordinary” people to take action to confront groups that desecrate Nature.

“The Prize recognizes individuals for sustained and significant efforts to protect and enhance the natural environment, often at great personal risk. The Goldman Prize views ‘grassroots’ leaders as those involved in local efforts, where positive change is created through community or citizen participation. Through recognizing these individual leaders, the Prize seeks to inspire other ordinary people to take extraordinary actions to protect the natural world.” https://www.goldmanprize.org/

The 2025 prizes were awarded this Earth Week to winners from six corners of the planet. These remarkable people through years of painstaking work defied the largest companies in order to achieve justice. Laurene Allen from New Hampshire spearheaded the closure of the Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics plant that had caused “20 years of rampant air, soil, and water pollution.” Besjana Guri and Olsi Nika of Albania received the prize for stopping the building of a hydroelectric dam on one of Europe’s last wild rivers. Vjosa Wild River National Park is the result of their community effort. Since 1989 226 environmental defenders from 95 different countries have been honoured with the Goldman Prize. It’s inspiring to read about the ongoing endeavours of these people. Read about these valiant campaigners at https://tinyurl.com/goldman-winners

In addition to these prizewinners, a thousand or more champions throughout the world are striving to restore their community lands and waters in 2025. Melinda Janki is an international lawyer who is opposed to dangerous deep-sea oil and gas exploitation offshore Guyana. She says: “Stopping these projects is non-negotiable for the ocean, the atmosphere, and life on Earth—the stakes couldn’t be higher.” https://www.melindajanki.org

 Xiye Bastida is a 22-year-old climate justice activist and storyteller. She is Executive Director of Re-Earth Initiative, a global youth-led organization that aims to make the climate movement more accessible. She is of Otomi-Toltec heritage, and she “integrates Indigenous worldviews of reciprocity, interdependence, and intergenerational responsibility into global climate advocacy.” Her activism began after her hometown of San Pedro Tultepec, Mexico experienced flooding and water contamination, thus learning firsthand about climate upheaval. https://www.xiyebeara.com/about

These Earth defenders are subject to violence from governments, corporations and gangs. This is why groups like the Goldman Prize are dedicated to giving vital security support to many fearless individuals. 

It is no secret that many governments are passing laws that make it dangerous, if not impossible, to investigate crimes against Nature. Many times, corrupt corporations will actually write the laws and give them to government legislators! These corporations and their lobbyists have greater legal expertise than legislative bodies. https://tinyurl.com/corporate-legislation

In Canada lobbyists have undue influence on public officials. https://tinyurl.com/canadian-lobbying

People are being imprisoned or even murdered for protecting Earth and their right to prosper. So-called democracies such as India are being whittled away by the repression of journalists. Indigenous people know this all too well.

There is so much more we could be doing to organize in our communities and demand more from local, provincial and federal elected authorities. We need to follow the lead of the courageous advocates for justice and protect our rights and those of the Earth.