Community Life
NEW
 |
Commons Strategies; Community Life; Media and Internet Craig Newmark— Commons Champion |
| NEW
Commons Strategies; Community Life; Cultural Commons; Economics and Markets; Food and Agriculture; Politics and Government Alexa BradleyMilwaukee WI — OnTheCommons.org Member |
The "Other" Boston Commons
Jamaica Plain, MA
A small church hosts a lively community forum that brings the neighborhood together Read more...
Media and Internet
| NEW
|
Commons Strategies; Community Life; Media and Internet Craig Newmark— Commons Champion |
| NEW
Climate Crisis; Commons Strategies; Cultural Commons; Environment; Indigenous People; International; Knowledge Commons; Media and Internet; Politics and Government Laura SimesCanberra, Australia — OnTheCommons.org Member |
NEW
 |
Climate Crisis; Commons Strategies; Cultural Commons; Environment; Everyday Life; Food and Agriculture; International; Knowledge Commons; Media and Internet; Politics and Government; Science and Health; Water Chris DesserSan Francisco, CA — OnTheCommons.org Member |
Commons Strategies
| NEW
|
Commons Strategies; Community Life; Media and Internet Craig Newmark— Commons Champion |
| NEW
Climate Crisis; Commons Strategies; Cultural Commons; Environment; Indigenous People; International; Knowledge Commons; Media and Internet; Politics and Government Laura SimesCanberra, Australia — OnTheCommons.org Member |
| NEW
Commons Strategies; Community Life; Cultural Commons; Economics and Markets; Food and Agriculture; Politics and Government Alexa BradleyMilwaukee WI — OnTheCommons.org Member |
Cultural Commons
| NEW
Climate Crisis; Commons Strategies; Cultural Commons; Environment; Indigenous People; International; Knowledge Commons; Media and Internet; Politics and Government Laura SimesCanberra, Australia — OnTheCommons.org Member |
| NEW
Commons Strategies; Community Life; Cultural Commons; Economics and Markets; Food and Agriculture; Politics and Government Alexa BradleyMilwaukee WI — OnTheCommons.org Member |
| NEW
|
Climate Crisis; Commons Strategies; Cultural Commons; Environment; Everyday Life; Food and Agriculture; International; Knowledge Commons; Media and Internet; Politics and Government; Science and Health; Water Chris DesserSan Francisco, CA — OnTheCommons.org Member |
Environment
| NEW
Climate Crisis; Commons Strategies; Cultural Commons; Environment; Indigenous People; International; Knowledge Commons; Media and Internet; Politics and Government Laura SimesCanberra, Australia — OnTheCommons.org Member |
| NEW
|
Climate Crisis; Commons Strategies; Cultural Commons; Environment; Everyday Life; Food and Agriculture; International; Knowledge Commons; Media and Internet; Politics and Government; Science and Health; Water Chris DesserSan Francisco, CA — OnTheCommons.org Member |
Vermont Steps in to Protect Water
State To Regulate Bulk Withdrawals That May Hurt Local Ecosystems. In recent years, manufacturers, mining companies and bottlers in Vermont have been draining so much water from beneath the surface of the state that the state legislature has finally decided to regulate bulk water withdrawals – defined as more than 57,6000 gallons per day. Republican Governor Jim Douglas plans to sign the bill. "We wanted to protect our groundwater for the next several generations," state Sen. Virginia Lyons, chair of the Natural Resources and Energy Committee, told the Christian Science Monitor. "If we don't have any protections, then an international company could come in and begin to extract water and take [it] without regard for the amount of resources available." Bulk withdrawals have already lowered groundwater and stream levels, with negative effects on the locals, including fish and wildlife. Vermont’s legislation is unusual because it does not “grandfather in” existing bulk water users. The big users, meanwhile, are complaining that the permits will raise their costs by 50 to 100%. They also charge that the law may violate NAFTA, which prohibits unfair restraints on international trade. (A tip o’ the hat to Peter van Schaick for sending this news along.)
See Read the source
Politics and Government
| NEW
Climate Crisis; Commons Strategies; Cultural Commons; Environment; Indigenous People; International; Knowledge Commons; Media and Internet; Politics and Government Laura SimesCanberra, Australia — OnTheCommons.org Member |
| NEW
Commons Strategies; Community Life; Cultural Commons; Economics and Markets; Food and Agriculture; Politics and Government Alexa BradleyMilwaukee WI — OnTheCommons.org Member |
| NEW
|
Climate Crisis; Commons Strategies; Cultural Commons; Environment; Everyday Life; Food and Agriculture; International; Knowledge Commons; Media and Internet; Politics and Government; Science and Health; Water Chris DesserSan Francisco, CA — OnTheCommons.org Member |
Climate Crisis
| NEW
Climate Crisis; Commons Strategies; Cultural Commons; Environment; Indigenous People; International; Knowledge Commons; Media and Internet; Politics and Government Laura SimesCanberra, Australia — OnTheCommons.org Member |
| NEW
|
Climate Crisis; Commons Strategies; Cultural Commons; Environment; Everyday Life; Food and Agriculture; International; Knowledge Commons; Media and Internet; Politics and Government; Science and Health; Water Chris DesserSan Francisco, CA — OnTheCommons.org Member |
Lively Debate Over Best Way to Solve Climate Change
Thankfully, the argument over the “if” of global warming is over, and new debates are springing up over the “how” of fixing the problem. The online environmental journal Grist is running a three-part series looking at two proposals that offer practical but ambitious ways to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases in the U.S. On the Commons Senior Fellow Peter Barnes’ proposes a “Cap and Dividend” plan in which revenues generated through a process of capping and reducing carbon emissions would be put in a trust and distributed to all American households to help them cope with higher energy prices. Sean Casten, CEO of a green energy firm, proposes output-based standards, in which strict standards are applied to power plants. Any facility not meeting those standards must pay for excess pollution, and any below the standards will be rewarded for their good deeds. In the end, author David Roberts leans toward cap and dividend because it is more politically viable, even though he sees it as less efficient than output-based standards. The series has sparked a long and lively sequence of reader comments.
See Read the source
Indigenous People
| NEW
Climate Crisis; Commons Strategies; Cultural Commons; Environment; Indigenous People; International; Knowledge Commons; Media and Internet; Politics and Government Laura SimesCanberra, Australia — OnTheCommons.org Member |
Environment; Indigenous People
Native Americans Buying Lost Land
Casino profits fuel new push to reclaim stolen tribal commons. White Americans’ lust for money cost Native Americans their land in the 19th Century, as pioneers hungry to make their fortunes out West continually pressured the federal government to open up Indian territory for settlement through illegal occupation and unfair treaties. In an ironic twist of history, white Americans’ continuing lust for money is allowing Indians to regain some of their lost tribal commons. The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports that profits from Indian-owned casinos are being used by tribes to buy back substantial tracts of ancestral lands—not just in Minnesota but also California, New York and other states.
See Read the source
Australia’s Redemption Song
Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd’s words of apology to his country’s Aboriginal people will surely make the history books one day—they represent one of the few times a leader has apologized for his government’s mistreatment of indigenous groups and destruction of their commons traditions. But Rudd’s words—“On behalf of the government, I am sorry”— already made it to pop music charts. Rudd’s apology was sampled on the song “From Little Things Big Things Grow,” which has climbed to 4th place on Australia’s top ten list despite the fact it is only available as a download on the internet. The song is remixed from an twenty-year-old rock hit by the activist group Get Up!
See Read the source
International
| NEW
Climate Crisis; Commons Strategies; Cultural Commons; Environment; Indigenous People; International; Knowledge Commons; Media and Internet; Politics and Government Laura SimesCanberra, Australia — OnTheCommons.org Member |
| NEW
|
Climate Crisis; Commons Strategies; Cultural Commons; Environment; Everyday Life; Food and Agriculture; International; Knowledge Commons; Media and Internet; Politics and Government; Science and Health; Water Chris DesserSan Francisco, CA — OnTheCommons.org Member |
Water is a Human Right
Maude Barlow—author of the new book Blue Covenant: The Global Water Crisis and the Coming Battle for the Right to Water (New Press)—has long argued that the growing trend of privatizing municipal water systems is setting off a global economic and ecological disaster. In their thirst for profits, water companies undermine the health and financial stability of low-income people. This is what happens when drinking water is treated as a commodity (like Coca-Cola) rather than as a commons (like the air). The solution to this growing global water crisis is to establish a new UN covenant asserting that water is a basic human right, she says on BanglaPraxis, the website of a Bangledeshi social justice organization. Barlow is chair of the Council of Canadians.
See Read the source:
Knowledge Commons
| NEW
Climate Crisis; Commons Strategies; Cultural Commons; Environment; Indigenous People; International; Knowledge Commons; Media and Internet; Politics and Government Laura SimesCanberra, Australia — OnTheCommons.org Member |
| NEW
|
Climate Crisis; Commons Strategies; Cultural Commons; Environment; Everyday Life; Food and Agriculture; International; Knowledge Commons; Media and Internet; Politics and Government; Science and Health; Water Chris DesserSan Francisco, CA — OnTheCommons.org Member |
A Plan to Rescue Orphan Works
Washington, DC
Urge Your Member of Congress to Support New Legislation Read more...
Economics and Markets
| NEW
Commons Strategies; Community Life; Cultural Commons; Economics and Markets; Food and Agriculture; Politics and Government Alexa BradleyMilwaukee WI — OnTheCommons.org Member |
|
Climate Crisis; Community Life; Economics and Markets; Environment; Food and Agriculture; Indigenous People; International; Politics and Government; Science and Health Kathleen JenisonPortland, OR — OnTheCommons.org Member |
|
Climate Crisis; Commons Strategies; Community Life; Cultural Commons; Economics and Markets; Environment; Everyday Life; Food and Agriculture; Indigenous People; International; Knowledge Commons; Media and Internet; Politics and Government; Science and Health; Water Richard LowenbergSanta Fe, NM — OnTheCommons.org Member |
Food and Agriculture
| NEW
Commons Strategies; Community Life; Cultural Commons; Economics and Markets; Food and Agriculture; Politics and Government Alexa BradleyMilwaukee WI — OnTheCommons.org Member |
| NEW
|
Climate Crisis; Commons Strategies; Cultural Commons; Environment; Everyday Life; Food and Agriculture; International; Knowledge Commons; Media and Internet; Politics and Government; Science and Health; Water Chris DesserSan Francisco, CA — OnTheCommons.org Member |
|
Climate Crisis; Community Life; Economics and Markets; Environment; Food and Agriculture; Indigenous People; International; Politics and Government; Science and Health Kathleen JenisonPortland, OR — OnTheCommons.org Member |
Everyday Life
| NEW
|
Climate Crisis; Commons Strategies; Cultural Commons; Environment; Everyday Life; Food and Agriculture; International; Knowledge Commons; Media and Internet; Politics and Government; Science and Health; Water Chris DesserSan Francisco, CA — OnTheCommons.org Member |
Commons Strategies; Community Life; Cultural Commons; Everyday Life; Knowledge Commons; Politics and Government
NCDD 2008 Conference, Austin, TX; Oct 3-5
If we are to survive our environmental dangers, our border disputes, our resource shortages, et cetera, ad infitum, we will have to learn to talk to... Read more...
Cultural Commons; Everyday Life
Looking for Walt Whitman
The great poet offers visions of humanity as an interconnected whole, which can still excite us today. Read more...
Science and Health
| NEW
|
Climate Crisis; Commons Strategies; Cultural Commons; Environment; Everyday Life; Food and Agriculture; International; Knowledge Commons; Media and Internet; Politics and Government; Science and Health; Water Chris DesserSan Francisco, CA — OnTheCommons.org Member |
|
Climate Crisis; Community Life; Economics and Markets; Environment; Food and Agriculture; Indigenous People; International; Politics and Government; Science and Health Kathleen JenisonPortland, OR — OnTheCommons.org Member |
|
Climate Crisis; Commons Strategies; Community Life; Cultural Commons; Economics and Markets; Environment; Everyday Life; Food and Agriculture; Indigenous People; International; Knowledge Commons; Media and Internet; Politics and Government; Science and Health; Water Richard LowenbergSanta Fe, NM — OnTheCommons.org Member |
Water
| NEW
|
Climate Crisis; Commons Strategies; Cultural Commons; Environment; Everyday Life; Food and Agriculture; International; Knowledge Commons; Media and Internet; Politics and Government; Science and Health; Water Chris DesserSan Francisco, CA — OnTheCommons.org Member |
Vermont Steps in to Protect Water
State To Regulate Bulk Withdrawals That May Hurt Local Ecosystems. In recent years, manufacturers, mining companies and bottlers in Vermont have been draining so much water from beneath the surface of the state that the state legislature has finally decided to regulate bulk water withdrawals – defined as more than 57,6000 gallons per day. Republican Governor Jim Douglas plans to sign the bill. "We wanted to protect our groundwater for the next several generations," state Sen. Virginia Lyons, chair of the Natural Resources and Energy Committee, told the Christian Science Monitor. "If we don't have any protections, then an international company could come in and begin to extract water and take [it] without regard for the amount of resources available." Bulk withdrawals have already lowered groundwater and stream levels, with negative effects on the locals, including fish and wildlife. Vermont’s legislation is unusual because it does not “grandfather in” existing bulk water users. The big users, meanwhile, are complaining that the permits will raise their costs by 50 to 100%. They also charge that the law may violate NAFTA, which prohibits unfair restraints on international trade. (A tip o’ the hat to Peter van Schaick for sending this news along.)
See Read the source
Blue Covenant: The Global Water Crisis and the Coming Battle for the Right to Water
by Maude Barlow
published Sep 1, 2007
Second book calls to action.
