Deep Ecology conference, Belfast Maine October 23, 2015 AUDIO

 On October 23, 2015  the University of Maine hosted a conference entitled Deep Ecology: Ethical and Spiritual Principles”  Below are links to MP3s of the speakers at the event  (More links to come) Cosponsored by the UME Peace and Reconciliation program and the ESTIA organization , the event had a strong Native American focus. Key speakers were three members of the Penobscot Nation: Darren Ranco, chair of UMaine’s Native American Programs; Sherri Mitchell,  indigenous rights attorney and writer; and Maria Girouard, historian and expert  on the Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act.  Ron Huber of the Friends of Penobscot Bay, a member of the Ecocentric Alliance , hosted a discussion titled "Shallow Ecology: applying deep ecology principles to protection of Penobscot Bay." Other speakers included Monique Larocque, UME Peace and Reconciliation program and poet Kathleen Ellis.

MORNING SESSION

1.Introduction Hugh Curran  3min26sec 

2. Monique Laroque  6min 43sec

3. Darren Ranco  6min 20sec

4 Sherri Mitchell and film 33min 

AFTERNOON SESSION

5 Darren Ranco  7min 21sec 

6. Kathleen Ellis 14min 42sec

7 Maria Girouard 24min

8. Introduction to  discussion breakout panels 6min

(panels to be posted soon)

End your optimism, you Climate Change Pollyannas!

In his below review of Global Warming For Dummies by Canadian Green Party leaders Elizabeth May and Zoë Caron, Green Web organizer David Orton of Nova Scotia takes issue with the espousal of what is false optimism by May and other leaders in the mainstream and green conservation communities, who fail to grasp the thistle; they won't promote and lead the actual drastic  global actions necessary to survive the coming ecological crash in some semblance of civilization, focusing instead on what is essentially Titanic deckchair rearranging. Read Mr. Orton's thoughtful essay, below:

Climate Change Pollyannas by David Orton GreenWeb, Nova Scotia, Canada

The Pollyanna title for this review -- meaning a false optimism or attitude of looking for the good side of any situation -- is misleading, given the situation we face. The basic working position permeating this book is not that we are facing a civilizational and ecocide crisis of hard to grasp proportions -- which require seismic cultural and institutional changes and lifestyle change which are difficult to comprehend -- with the outcome very much in doubt. But it is the promotion of the view that good things are being done around climate change and global warming, that we are moving in the right direction, and only need to accelerate our efforts. I believe this to be a false, harmful, and very misleading Pollyanna-type message.

Full article Here