Tag: nature

A One Billion Dollar Fine!

On By southwerkIn Business Ethics, Capitalism, Economic Justice

Environmental destruction is a world wide problem. Some nations are taking the problem seriously. I don’t live in one of those. I live in the United States where environmental rules and regulations are on the chopping block, victims of dark money, ruthless corporate officials and the right wing media machine.

But other nations have not given up the struggle and one of them is Sri Lanka.

I want you to know that fines as in this case are a good way of punishing miscreants who do severe harm. Money is useful in repairing environment damage and making victims whole.

But a message that resonates requires imprisonment and other directly personal penalties. It is one thing to require a corporation to pay a billion dollars but another to make the CEO pay money out of his own pocket, suffer travel restrictions and and an inability to do financial transactions or serve on corporate boards. Those kinds of penalties will get corporate officials’ attention. Corporations have a lot of money. What they don’t have are officials willing to suffer.

We can also destroy corporations who sin against the nation’s collective interest. The corporate death penalty where the corporation’s legal existence is ended and its assets sold as a penalty would also serve to get the attention of the wrong doers.

Corporations are creations of the state. Their charters can be revoked and they can be ended. It is a choice we should have. Corporate incompetence and villainy have resulted in tens of thousands of deaths, billions upon billions of dollars in damages and massive destruction eco-systems. If we “killl” a few, they might do less harm. We might at least get the idea across that we take their destruction of the planet seriously.

We have a responsibility as patriots to protect our nation. That includes the land, the water and the air. It is a profoundly moral duty. For those of us who believe in Christianity, we also have a responsibility to act as stewards of God’s creation. That also calls us to action.

Let us go forth armed with righteousness and a willingness to confront and defeat evil.

James Pilant

(Probably the proper attitude for hauling a dangerous cargo and chemicals and microplastics.)

In an article written for The Cool Down, Alexis McDonell, writes in an article entitled:

Shipping giant hit with $1 billion fine after causing one of worst marine disasters in history: ‘Unprecedented devastation’

The Supreme Court of Sri Lanka found a shipping company liable for a billion.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/shipping-giant-hit-1-billion-194500541.html

In June 2021, the MV X-Press Pearl caught fire and sank off the coast of Colombo while carrying a cargo of chemicals.

The Supreme Court described the result as “unprecedented devastation to the marine environment of Sri Lanka,” citing the deaths of 417 turtles, 48 dolphins, eight whales, and countless fish that washed ashore. Debris from the ship, including several tons of plastic pellets used to manufacture bags, spread across beaches and into the ocean.

“This marine environmental disaster … resulted in the widespread release of toxic and hazardous substances into the marine environment, poisoning ocean waters, killing marine species, and destructing phytoplankton,” the judgment stated.

He Astro Turfed his Lawn??

On By southwerkIn Opinion

I had to read the article below twice because I found it hard to believe that some one would replace real life vegetation like grass with a sort of artificial carpet.

What makes this even more bizarre is the fact that I have been writing and advocating for natural lawns of wildflowers and other alternatives to the carefully mowed lawns which cost so much in fuel and environment degradation. I had come to believe that there was a generally broad movement to a genuine appreciation of nature and then I see this man acquire an artificial lawn.

(It turns out I am little short of pictures of grass. So, this lion is sitting on “grass” and has expressed his lack of satisfaction in the Astro-Turfing as you can see. jp)

The article is highly critical of the practice and it doesn’t appear to save money or retain its “attractiveness” over time.

The article linked to below is entitled Homeowner sparks backlash after showing off newly landscaped yard: ‘Why would someone voluntarily live this way?’ and is written by Sarah Winfrey. It is from The Cool Down.

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/articles/homeowner-sparks-backlash-showing-off-140000414.html

According to Clean Water Action, artificial turf poses health risks due to the plastics and other potentially damaging chemicals it contains.

Artificial turf and other plastic-based gardening solutions leach chemicals and toxins into the earth, which is harmful to human health and can contaminate soil for decades to come.

Per Real Homes, fake turf can be a deceptively high-maintenance approach to lawn care and landscaping, requiring significant maintenance to keep it presentable. On top of that, it can burn in the sun, and constant exposure to the elements degrades it over time.

Let me be upfront here. I live in an apartment and the only thing around this building is cement. But I live in a community with many homes and lawns. I live near parks and nature tracks and there is good sized federal park north of here.

I do appreciate nature and I want you, my kind readers, to make good choices so let me even thought I don’t have a lawn recommend a good lawn choice for you.

From the web:

Natural Lawns: A Sustainable and Eco-Friendly Alternative to Grass

This is a good way to build a good eco friendly and good looking lawn.

James Pilant

The Cannon Ball Run or the Gumball Rally, Except for Real??

On By southwerkIn crime

The Cannonball Run was a 1981 action/comedy film starring Burt Reynolds and directed by Hal Needham. Not only silly and often in poor taste, it was entirely fictional. And this is important because if you do this stuff in real life … Well, it is not good.

An earlier movie with the same basic idea was made in 1976. The Gumball Rally was a racing film/comedy inspired by Cannonball Baker Sea-to-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash. These incidents (I’m not sure the word race actually fits these situations) were first and second a movie made for entertainment which by the way I very much enjoyed (the second one, anyway) and the third a series of five races covered and probably created by the magazine, Car and Driver, in the early 1970’s, were all very much pre-internet.

And of course, my dear readers, as you are well aware the Internet can mess up anything.

Currently we have some rather poor specimens of humanity who are also referred to as “influencers,” and they had to as always do something stupid. Although stupid may be too weak a word? Can you say Super Stupid? Is that a usable phrase?

Well, have a read and see what you think.

(Couldn’t find a race car in my data base of public domain pictures but this will do.)

In an article entitled, YouTubers drag raced through Grand Teton National Park. Park rangers had thoughts written by Jacqueline Kehoe, she explains what has just happened. In my opinion, we have a new and pitiful sort of Gumball Rally or one of those Cannonball things.

https://creators.yahoo.com/lifestyle/story/youtubers-drag-raced-through-grand-teton-national-park-park-rangers-had-thoughts-142142281.html

In a move that’s equal parts reckless and ridiculous, a group of luxury sports car drivers turned Grand Teton National Park into their personal racetrack — and paid the price for it.

On Tuesday, June 24, around 5 p.m., park rangers at Grand Teton National Park responded to reports of high-end sports cars drag racing along Teton Park Road — a serene, two-lane scenic route that skirts the base of the mighty Teton Range. The road, typically used by wildlife watchers, photographers, hikers, and families, became the site of an impromptu (and illegal) motorsport event. The result? Four drivers arrested, two cars impounded, and a slew of federal charges.

I really feel that you should read the article. Ms. Kehoe has a definite way with words, and you might pay particular attention to the names of the perps and, I don’t know, maybe share them on social media? It seems only fair.

After all they raced at high speed down a recreational road in a national park used by families and wildlife. I tend toward a certain level of hostility at them for this. You might very well feel that way too. The only reason they didn’t kill anybody was dumb luck.

If you want to race, find and hire a track. They’re are a lot of them.

As for desecrating a national park. Just don’t.

James Alan Pilant