~ from the angry red planet inbox, a new summer project:

ROLL YOUR OWN BLACK OUT THE FIRST DAY OF SUMMER JUNE 21, 2001 THURS EVE,
7-10 pm worldwide, all time zones

   As an alternative to George W. Bush’s energy policies and lack of emphasis on efficiency, conservation and alternative fuels, there will be a voluntary rolling blackout on the first day of summer, June 21 at 7pm – 10pm in any time zone (this will roll it across the planet).

   Its a simple protest and a symbolic act. Turn out your lights from 7pm-10pm on June 21. Unplug whatever you can unplug in your house. Light a candle to the Sungoddess, kiss and tell or not, take a stroll in the dark, invent ghost stories, anything that’s not electronic – have fun in the dark.

   Read the 1999 book “Natural Capitalism” by Hawken and Lovins to learn that conservation/high efficiency technologies already ARE on-the-shelf. If implemented these revolutionary ideas would pay themselves off within five years, after which we’d be pumping far less greenhouse gas into the atmosphere and saving bucks to boot.

   Forward this email as widely as possible, to your government representatives and environmental contacts.

   Let them know we want global education, participation and funding in conservation, efficiency and alternative fuel efforts — and an end to over-exploitation and misuse of the earth’s resources.

   Anyone knows that the Cheney-Bush team is blowing smoke when they tell us that “… conservation can’t help, it’ll just be too expensive to implement those technologies…” While on the other hand, technology to develop and deploy weapons to blow incoming ICBMs out of the sky are easy to come by.

~ some of us from the angry red planet were called in to jury selection at the los angeles superior court, and, unfortunately, were subsequently selected for jury. perhaps something can be said for performing one’s civic duty, and that jury duty should be a pleasure. we find that this feeling of pleasure may only occur in cases were a great injustice may be avenged or that a terrible crime is ‘solved’. however, one can imagine certain civil cases arising over the most inane and superficial dispute. in this cause it should be okay to waste the time of the parties involved in the dispute, but the notion that two weeks of the busiest season at the angry red planet must also be wasted – along with county resources and the valuable time of eleven other citizens – is enraging.