New Monbiot…

HEAT: How to Stop the Planet From Burning
by George Monbiot
Pages: 304
ISBN: 978-0-89608-779-8
Release Date: 2007-04-23
Publisher: South End Press

Heat: How to Stop the Planet From Burning marks an important moment in our civilization’s thinking about global warming. The question is no longer Is climate change actually happening? but What do we do about it? George Monbiot offers an ambitious and far-reaching program to cut our carbon dioxide emissions to the point where the environmental scales start tipping back—away from catastrophe.

Though writing with a “spirit of optimism,” Monbiot does not pretend it will be easy. The only way to avoid further devastation, he argues, is a 90% cut in CO2 emissions in the rich nations of the world by 2030. In other words, our response will have to be immediate, and it will have to be decisive.

In every case he supports his proposals with a rigorous investigation into what works, what doesn’t, how much it costs, and what the problems might be. He wages war on bad ideas as energetically as he promotes good ones. And he is not afraid to attack anyone—friend or foe—whose claims are false or whose figures have been fudged.

After all, there is no time to waste. As Monbiot has said himself, “we are the last generation that can make this happen, and this is the last possible moment at which we can make it happen.”

“Avoiding disastrous climate change is the central challenge of our time. George Monbiot addresses it with wit, verve, and rigor. He shows that all of our excuses for inaction are just that—excuses. If you care about the future of the planet, you should read Heat, and then give a copy to a friend.” —Elizabeth Kolbert, author of Field Notes from a Catastrophe: Man, Nature, and Climate Change

“George Monbiot is one of the real heroes of the fight against global warming; he has faced the reality of climate change much more squarely than most, and written a book that offers true hope precisely because it deals with the true facts, not a make-believe set that would be easier to work around. A courageous and a necessary book!”
—Bill McKibben, author of The End of Nature and Deep Economy: The Wealth of Communities and the Durable Future

George Monbiot is the best-selling author of The Age of Consent and Captive State, as well as the investigative travel books Poisoned Arrows, Amazon Watershed, and No Man’s Land. In 1995, Nelson Mandela presented Monbiot with a United Nations Global 500 Award for outstanding environmental achievement. He has held visiting fellowships or professorships at the universities of Oxford (environmental policy), Bristol (philosophy), Keele (politics), and East London (environmental science). Currently visiting professor of planning at Oxford Brookes University, Monbiot writes a weekly column for the Guardian newspaper.

Upcoming at Beyond Baroque in Venice, CA

Beyond Baroque Literary Arts Center

20 April, Friday – OPENING 7:30 PM

PAMELA MOSHER aka KAMERA ZIE — Poets/Punks: Late 1970s San Francisco

PAMELA MOSHER, aka KAMERA ZIE, documented poets and punks, the poetes maudits, in San Francisco in the late 1970s. Her subjects: BUKOWSKI, GINSBERG, BURROUGHS, JAMES LAUGHLIN, FERLINGHETTI, CODRESCU, MICHELINE, MCCLURE, JACK HIRSCHMAN, AL HANSEN, WERNER SCHROETER, ROSA VON PRAUNHEIM, NICO, CHARLEMAGNE PALESTINE, THE SCREAMERS, and more. She began shooting for V.Vale’s Search and Destroy in 1977. Her work appeared in The Bay Guardian, Rolling Stone, and New Musical Express.

21 April, Saturday – 7:30 PM
ED DORN, one of America’s great, courageous poets, began at Black Mountain with Creeley and Olson. He wrote such classics as Gunslinger (Duke), with its critique of the Vietnam War and America’s “Shortage Industry,” Hello La Jolla, Some Business Recently Transacted in the White World, the groundbreaking Shoshoneans, and much more. MICHAEL ROTHENBERG has edited a Selected Poems for the prestigious Penguin Poets series (following Kyger and Whalen), and co-hosts this tribute with Dorn’s widow JENNIFER DUNBAR DORN. With JOHN DALEY, GERRY CASALLE, PHOEBE MACADAMS, JASON HORWITCH, JOE SAFDIE, LEWIS MACADAMS, and MAYA DORN.

27 April, Friday – 7:30 PM
JOHN SINCLAIR and FRIENDS – GUITAR ARMY, with ADAM PARFREY, WAYNE KRAMER, M. L. LIEBLER, PUN PLAMONDON, MICHAEL SIMMONS, JODI WILLE, a PANEL and PERFORMANCES

One of the most groundbreaking books to come out of ‘60s music/protest/art/community world was the legendary GUITAR ARMY, by JOHN SINCLAIR, manager of the legendary rock band the MC5 and founder of the WHITE PANTHER PARTY. The rainbow-colored 1972 book compiled essays, posters, and Sinclair’s Street and Prison Writings. ADAM PARFREY and JODI WILLE’S PROCESS is reprinting an expanded edition with an intro by MICHAEL SIMMONS, 40 new photos, and a CD with rare recordings of folks like Allen Ginsberg, Bobby Seale, White Panther Party members, the MC5, etc.. Also present will be WAYNE KRAMER (MC5 guitarist), PUN PLAMONDON (White Panther vet), and M. L. LIEBLER (Detroit poetry organizer).

28 April, Saturday – 7:30 PM

RE/Search’s 2007 Edition of the INDUSTRIAL CULTURE HANDBOOK with GRAEME REVELL, JOHANNA WENT, FILMS, and SURPRISE GUESTS!

A Celebration, Reunion, Film Showing, Panel Discussion, and Q&A with three local LA artists in RE/Search’s reprint of the INDUSTRIAL CULTURE HANDBOOK. GRAEME REVELL, JOHANNA WENT, and other SPECIAL GUESTS will be present to autograph copies. “This book was an inspiration not only to subsequent ‘Industrial’ musicians but to the ‘Goth’ movement as well. The early Industrial Culture Movement involved far more than just making ‘noise music,’ but sought to infuse subliminals, cut-ups, randomness and enlightening memes into all cultural production” -Leslie Hodgkins. $10 (includes $5 coupon towards purchase of an autographed INDUSTRIAL CULTURE HANDBOOK).

ARTHUR EMAIL BULLETIN No. 0072

“COMMAND PERFORMANCE”

The Arthur Magazine Email Bulletin

No. 0072

April 12, 02007

BLOG:

http://www.arthurmag.com/magpie

SPACE:

http://www.myspace.com/arthurmag

Comments:

editor@arthurmag.com

1. BOLLES SAGA UPDATE 

Don Bolles is free on bail paid by friends and supporters via paypal. He has colorfully denied all the charges. Dr. Bronner’s is paying for his legal representation. He has a court hearing tomorrow: Friday the 13th. Improbable, we know, but then that’s Don. “Germ Busted for Soap,” a GREAT sum-up by veteran journalist Dean Kuipers is in this week’s LACityBeat, online at

http://www.lacitybeat.com/article.php?id=5328&IssueNum=201

2. IT’S APRIL 12 WHICH MEANS IT’S YURI’S NIGHT AND YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS.

From yurisnight.net:

“‘Let’s go!’ These were the words spoken by Russian Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin as he embarked on the historic first manned space flight on 12 April 1961. Twenty years later on 12 April 1981, the US launched the first space shuttle flight. We think that’s something worth celebrating – so we do! Every year on April 12th, Yuri’s Night is celebrated all around the world – last year there were over 90 events or parties held in over 30 countries worldwide – and 2007 looks set to be even bigger. Whether in someone’s living room, a swinging nightclub or a world-class science museum, Yuri’s Night events all have one thing in common – people who are excited about space exploration and who want to join together to celebrate it.

Peace, Love, Space,

Loretta Hidalgo Whitesides

Co-Creator, Yuri’s Night

loretta@yurisnight.net

George Whitesides

Co-Creator, Yuri’s Night

george@yurisnight.net“

3. PEACE, LOVE, ECHO PARK

Arthur Magazine and LARecord present

The Echo Park Social(ist) & Pleasure Club

Thursday, April 12

and EVERY Thursday night

930pm sharp

at

LITTLE JOY

1477 Sunset Blvd in Echo Park

((( free )))

21 & up

Tonight’s YURI’S NIGHT SPECTACULAR will be deejayed by

930pm-1100pm: ASTRID QUAY (Winter Flowers)

1100pm-1230am: PETER ALBERTS (Arthur, etc)

1230am-lights out: B+ (Mochilla)

Last week, Daniel Chamberlin “was more or less winging it but I sort of remember playing this stuff though not necessarily in this order: Herbie Hancock, Monomono, Ofege, The Paragons, David Axelrod, Miriam Makeba, Ironcickles, Osibisa, John Holt, Black Uhuru, Susan Cadogan, Jim Nastic & Sound Dimensions, E.T. Mensah & Dr. Victor Olaiya and some field recordings from Afghanistan.” Ron Rege played Devo, Capt. Beefheart, USAISAMONSTER and Nico covering the doors. Becky Stark played Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell duets. Jay Babcock played Tim Maia, Som Imaginario, more Tim Maia, Sly & the Family Stone, Lavender Diamond, yet more Tim Maia and Brightblack Morning Light. 

4. WE HAVE ISSUES. BACK ISSUES.

Are you missing Arthur? Buy old issues. Heck, buy the whole run. We’re selling individual copies and entire runs of the rag for cheap cheap cheap online at

http://www.arthurmag.com/store/

5. IT’S YOUR BIOSPHERE TOO

“Urban Permaculture Design and Community: Cultivating Relational Intelligence and Practical Solutions for a Climate-Changing World”

Kat Steele

Friday, April 13 @ 5pm

Hear from a leader in the next generation of bay area permaculture designers as she shares perspectives on the evolving holistic design system and process. What is this design system? Why is it unique? How can it work in our suburbs and cities? How can Permaculture help address the issues of sustainability and community food security in our urban ecologies? Kat offers living and working examples of how projects integrate permaculture principles with green building, affordable housing, new technologies, green businesses and education, and social and economic justice! Hear how Permaculture can be used to best prepare and respond to the climatic and social transitions that we are facing today. In addition to her own work she’ll screen a short film about the innovative City Repair project of Portland, Oregon and lead a discussion about this evolutionary place-making phenomena

Katherine “Kat” Steele is a permaculture activist, designer, educator and founder the Urban Permaculture Guild in Oakland, California. She facilitates workshops on natural building and permaculture as well as publicly speaks about eco-social design, city repair and the power of placemaking. Trained in Ecovillage Design with the Findhorn Foundation of Scotland, Natural Building with Kleiwerks International and Permaculture Design with the Occidental Arts and Ecology Center she also holds an MA in Creative Arts from San Francisco State University. She presently serves on the board of two Bay Area Non Profit Organizations devoted to Peace, Justice and Sustainablity, the NorCal Chapter of Architects, Designers, Planners for Social Responsibility (ADPSR) in Berkeley and Bay Localize in Oakland.

“How Mushrooms Can Help Save the World”

Paul Stamets

Friday, April 13 @ 7:30pm

As we are now well engaged in the 6th Major Extinction (“6 X”) on planet Earth, our biosphere is quickly changing, eroding the life support systems that have allowed humans to ascend. Unless we put into action policies and technologies that can cause a course correction in the very near future, species diversity will continue to plummet, with humans not only being the primarily cause, but one of the victims. What can we do? I think fungi, particularly mushrooms, offer some powerful, practical solutions, that can be put into practice now.

Paul Stamets will discuss the evolution of mushrooms in ecosystems and how fungi can help heal environments. As environmental health and human health are inextricably interconnected, fungi offer unique opportunities that capitalize on mycelium’s diverse properties. Forest dwelling mushroom mycelium can achieve the greatest mass of any living organism – this characteristic is a testimonial to its inherent biological power.

Mushroom mycelium can replace chemical pesticides, break down toxic wastes, including petroleum-based products such as diesel, dioxins, and numerous other toxins into non-toxic forms. Understanding mycelium’s production of antibiotics is useful not only to compete with bacteria in nature but has also proven useful for treating animal diseases. Since bacterial can be vectors for viruses, interesting strategies emerge for supporting ecological health using mycelium as ecological medicine.

About a dozen species of medicinal mushrooms will be explored from a historical perspective leading to the clinical studies in which Paul is participating. Moreover, he will discuss his work with the U.S. Departments’ Bioshield BioDefense program, wherein his extracts were the first natural products from hundreds of thousands of samples tested found to be potent inhibitors of pox and other viruses. The field of mushroom-based medicines is rapidly expanding and this talk will show how mycomedicines can be incorporated in daily living to improve the quality of life while protecting the biosphere.

Farmlab / Under Spring, 1745 N. Spring Street #4, LA, CA 90012

Across the street from the site of the Not A Cornfield project, in a warehouse colocated at Baker Street and N. Spring Street

Salons are always free-of-charge, all ages welcome.

Refreshments will be served.

6. ARTHUR MAGPIE BLOG IS PRETTY HAPPENING RIGHT NOW

Articles from the cancelled Arthur No. 26 are being posted at the blog.

PLUS: new bloggers means more blog action more of the time on more subjects. 

Take a gander or two at

http://www.arthurmag.com/magpie/

7. IRA COHEN “INVASION OF THUNDERBOLT PAGODA” DVD – SECOND PRINTING SHIPS JUNE 1 – YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED

Pre-order now:

http://www.arthurmag.com/news/index.php

8. THE NEW HERBALIST 2007 ZODIAC POSTER BY MOLLY FRANCES

Download it FREE from

http://www.arthurmag.com/magpie/?p=1704

9. STATE OF THE MAGAZINE

Here’s the Village Voice blog story on our comeback — brackets are ours:

http://villagevoice.com/blogs/pressclipsextra/archives/2007/04/arthur_ii_the_r.php

Arthur II: The Resurrection

posted: 10:54 AM, April 10, 2007 

by Keach Hagey

Look what rose from the grave, just in time for Easter Sunday.

Arthur Magazine, pronounced dead by its editor a month ago, announced late last week that it would come back to life in the next few months.

The afterlife for the five-year-old music, culture, politics and drug magazine arrived courtesy of a “trusted intermediary” who got feuding partners Jay Babcock, the LA-based editor, and Laris Kreslins, the Philadelphia-based publisher, back to the negotiating table late last month. Babcock bought out Kreslins’ share with the help of loans from friends and family.

The deal marks the end of a tiff that started on Jan. 3, when Kreslins informed Babcock that he [Babcock] could no longer publish the bimonthly magazine, but some hard feelings remain.

“I shouldn’t have had to do this,” Babcock said. “Now I’m in deeper debt than before.”

Kreslins, who runs the tourism website movetophilly.com with his girlfriend, always disputed Babcock’s claims that the magazine was finished. His publishing company, Lime Publishing, seized control of Arthur’s assets, trademark and website, where it posted news that the bimonthly publication was on “indefinite hiatus.”

[…]

Kreslins’ bolt for the door locked up the magazine’s credit line and killed the momentum of Issue number 26, which was schedule to lead with a feature on Yoko Ono by Thurston Moore and Byron Coley and drop in time for the March South By Southwest Festival. The delay has meant much of that issue’s content was lost.

“Features walked,” Babcock said. “It’s a total shame.”

Some of content wandered over to other websites, such as The Seth Man’s piece on Sly and the Family Stone, found its way onto Julian Cope’s Head Heritage site. But others are now posted in blog, form on the magazine’s website, now controlled by Babcock.

But the cloud of hiatus had some silver linings. Friends “came out of the woodwork . .. and out of the woods,” to offer a hand to the magazine in its time of need, Babcock said. Plans for CD and DVD releases are in the works, as well as a book anthology of the best of the last five years’ journalism. The sold-out “Invasion of Thunderbolt Pagoda” DVD will be back in print June 1, and the next issue of the 50,000-circulation magazine will come out “as soon as necessary financing is in place,” he said.

[…]

Babcock speaks the language of legend when discussing the publishing pause. For the last few weeks, the magazine’s website has featured an Aubrey Beardley-esqe drawing of the Lady of the Lake from Arthurian legend with the caption “Arthur is in Avalon.” In some versions of the story, he explained, the lady presides over the British island of Avalon, where Arthur is sent to heal his wounds.

“The whole thing [in the mythology] is that [Arthur] will return in our time of need,” Babcock said. “He is supposed to die and come back.”

10. KURT VONNEGUT R.I.P.

So it goes,

Arthur Anti-Death Squad

Atwater Village, Pacific Rim

Flaming Nachos: Experimental Music Made by Kids in New Orleans

From 1995 — four tracks of incredible Butthole Surfers/Funkadelic-inspired music from The Flaming Nachos, a group of kids in a “learn to be in a rock band” program at a summer camp in New Orleans. Pay particular attention to “Let it Mellow”, a mind-expanding instrumental that recalls gamelan orchestras, funeral processions, Martin Denny exotica and the aforementioned Surfers. Pure, unreconstructed, noisy delight.

"Spasm Empire" by Charles Potts

Paranoid Christian Fascism is not an appropriate answer to world or American problems but it is the only one coming out of the final days of the Bush administration.

The US government became paranoid with the passage of the National Security Act of 1947, which made government a secret. This made everybody who might want to know what the government is up to an enemy, from whom the truth must be kept at all costs. Are 16 spy agencies enough? Why not 24? or 56?

Christianity is a comfort religion for chimpanzees without the nerve to die decently. They want to drag everybody through their Armageddon–worse than a Mel Gibson movie.

And Fascism, well the 20th century was a hundred million death essay in the futility of invading neighboring countries just because you can. Adios Nazi Germany, Imperial Japan, and Mussolini’s “Government by Corporations” Fascism. The adult countries of Europe and Asia will have to help put the kibosh on the PCF US Empire.

With any luck the empire will collapse in time for all of us to watch. While the Vichy Democrats have decided to ratify the Bush strategy to run out the clock and blame all their failures on subsequent and former administrations (I mean where the fuck is Congressman Conyers’ bill for impeachment?), our obligation is to not help them kill any innocent bodies and to stay out of the way of the debris from falling empire.

Or as Edward Dorn just said: If voting changed anything, it would be illegal.

Peace