Pics from Native rally in San Jose

The environmentalists have a point in that the power plant may cause more problems than it solves. However, advertising this issue under the guise of religion is insulting and reactionary. Science means knowledge; religion is superstition. On KPFA, one of the Native Americans said this would be like drilling a hole through the Catholic Church. To that, I say good. There is no reason to respect any religion as it is all superstition. Please advertise these issues on a scientific basis: The project harms the environment.

I was at this protest, and am the son of one of the planners. IT was a great success and a blast. I am dissapointed in the other comment, but hey, everyone has their own opinion. I am not in any of the pictures!!! I was taking some myself for the Seventh Generation Fund though!!

We would no sooner deny you the right to live in a void of spiritualism than we would wish to have you define what is and is not real. Indigenous peoples of the Americas have the world's oldest continually practiced spiritual ways, and they are the ways of understanding that the earth is sacred. Put in scientific terms, this translates to the earth being our sustenance, our breath, our very means of survival...and suddenly, when you think in such terms, it is difficult to call our spiritual ways merely superstition. We are a whole lot smarter about how to survive as a result of these ways and these teachings than those who revere only science. We know the same very real conclusion of environmental devastation from a different, connected, perspective.

Everyone has the right to his or her opinion, but not to speak for all environmentalists. I am long time environmentalist and social rights activist, and do not feel they need to be at odds with each other. The same rights that allow you freedom of speech allow all to have freedom of religion, including those whom land was stolen or those whom see the earth and not only buildings as sacred.

To say that native people can only speak of science and not of religious freedom is insulting to thousands of years of tradition that allowed people to protect and not destroy the earth. Furthermore science can be bought and sold and is all the time through funding.
You can speak to what moves you, but do not tell others what should move them. I do not practice nor want to practice any religion, but respect others right to. I also love Medicine Lake not only for its geological features, but also for the special feeling I get while I am there and for the inspiration that it provides for people.
The thought that people should not be presenting things as they feel but only in cold scientific terms reminds me not of environmentalism but communism in it's worst form.

I thank the people whom fight for Medicine Lake and wish to aid them (you) in everyway and to encourage them to fight for their traditions and culture. I hope the whole environmental community supports this struggle, and know many of us do.

When comparing indigenous spirituality to organized religion, there are some details left by the wayside. The initial comment above on science being the only method for measuring the value of a sacred place is lacking and divisive. Indigenous spirituality may be difficult for many Euro-americans to comprehend, especially since there is a focus on Christianity vs. science as the polar duality found in many modern circles of discusssion..

This unnatural duality misses the point as the sacredness of a place in indigenous spirituality is based on the energy that place contains. There is no separation between humans, place and ecosystem in indigenous spirituality. The focus instead in on the interconnectedness and interdependence of humans, place ecosystem on one another. This is different from both Christianity that views the Earth as a temporary holding cell on the way to judgement and (hopefully) Heaven; and scientific views that examines everything in nature based on isolated reductionist materialistic components viewed by humans as the only possible judges. Neither of these outlooks comes close to the indigenous spirituality that brings everything together as interwoven and sacred life energy. Even these words are not able to describe the depth of this spirituality, as words are themselves reductionist..

If science can expand their views to include the life energy force as spirit and see this concept as interchangeable though not possible to be measured by human machines, then maybe science can try to understand the sacredness of Medicine Lake as a body of water capable of healing humans..

The location of this lake in a volcanic caldera provides a clue that many unique and rare mineral compounds will be found dissolved in the water. Again, this is reductionist thinking at best, and there are many other forces of nature (electromagnetics) poorly understood by science, and in raw natural form is more difficult to measure these energies interacting with one another and the potential outcome on humans..

What we do know is that for hundreds if not thousands of years the indigenous peoples of what is now called northern California have migrated over long distances and immersed their bodies in the healing waters of Medicine Lake. Even today, a summer visit and swim in the waters of Medicine Lake will be sure to leave even the most skeptical scientist feeling refreshed and a bit more positive about life. Maybe testing the waters will lead to some scientific discoveries that will bring the realm of spirit energies and scientific method a bit closer to the same understanding about healing energies..

However, this and other discoveries will not be possible if Calpine corporation contaminates the chemical balance of Medicine Lake with their underground explosions and release of hydrogen sulfide into the lake. The geothermal energy Calpine attempts to extract will be a brief flash in the pan, though the hydrogen sulfide contamination may be long term damage, past the 7th generations in the future. Let's not destroy this healing water for them, the future generations are gonna need all the healing water they can get at the rate our society is going fucking up the ecosystem with carcinogens..

For other examples of Calpine's misplaced priorites, visit EPIC's article, "Calpine's Dubious Corporate Record
"Is It an Enron Twin, or Just a Look-Alike?" " @;

http://www.wildcalifornia.org/pages/page-105

On another note, let's not make the same mistakes as the former Soviet Union, who attempted to convert the many rural indigenous populations of the greater Russian/Mongolian diaspora into a unified secular athiest communist state. The greatest problem of the hardheaded so-called "Marxist" leftists in South America was not gaining the support of so-called "primitive" indigenous peoples because the leftists were too dogmatic about their hard-line athiesm. Given the choice between right wing fascist paramilitary and leftist athiest goon squads, many indigenous peoples checked neither as their preference. This was because of a lack of understanding on the part of the leftists, who should have been more respectful to the beliefs and diverse cultures of the indigenous peoples. In fact, in his later years, Karl Marx was quoted saying his recent and rather late in the game understanding of indigenous peoples of North America led him to believe that their lifestyles and societal structures before colonialism were the closest examples of an egalitarian and communal living system he ever observed. Not to mention the US Constitution being destroyed by the Bush regime as we speak is based on the democratic society of the Iroquis Confederacy..

"Many passages of these 'Notebooks' reflect Marx's interest in Iroquois democracy as expressed in the Council of the Gens, that "democratic assembly where every adult male and female member had a voice upon all questions brought before it," and he made special note of details regarding the active participation of women in tribal affairs, The relation of man to woman-a topic of Marx's 1844 manuscripts-is also one of the recurring themes of his ethnological inquiries. Thus he quotes a letter sent to Morgan by a missionary among the Seneca: "The women were the great power among the clans, as everywhere else. They did not hesitate, when occasion required, 'to knock off the horns,' as it was technically called, from the head of a chief, and send him back to the ranks of the warriors. The original nomination of the chief also always rested with them"
"

article continues @;

http://www.geocities.com/cordobakaf/marx_iroquois.html

Again the US Constitution also calls upon the citizens of the US to throw off or "knock off the horns" of any elected chief who adopts the methods of tyranny and who cannot provide the people with liberty. The current regime under GW Bush have shown themselves to be tyrants and needs to have their collective horns knocked off their heads (be removed from their illegally gotten position of representative power) and be held accountable via international war crimes tribunal for the many crimes they have committed against humanity/ecosystems in Iraq, post-Katrina New Orleans and many other places. It is the responsibility of the people to remove these tyrants from their postions..

love, peace and justice,

luna moth

Dear All,

I understand your point that the construction of the geothermal plant might disrupt the land and ecosystem there, but there is just as likely a chance that it will not. Various geothermal plants throughout the country have been found to have zero impact on nearby fisheries. Birds flock to the plants for the hot steam produced, and deer have often been found very near the sites, with no negative impact.

Geothermal is a low to zero emission, renewable source of fuel. In an age when America desperately needs to reduce its energy independence while at the same time reducing emissions, geothermal and other renewables offer one of the few options. While our energy needs continue to climb, our oil and coal reserves continue to become more difficult to extract. The pollution caused by these sources is astronomical: geothermal produces a fraction of the carbon dioxide, particulate matter, and other emissions from a typical fossil fuel plant.

The boost to the economy and the increase of jobs for a geothermal plant is also substantial. Local communities will benefit greatly from geothermal production - in some communities geothermal companies provide the largest tax base.

Again, I understand your concern, but it is important to consider the big picture - the fact that this plant will offset pollution that would have been produced by other more polluting energy sources. The fact is, energy is needed...whether you want it from a dirty coal plant or a renewable geothermal plant...is up to you.

Support Pit River Indians in their environmental and social justice fight to save the Medicine Lake Highlands from Calpine's proposed power plants!

This was an incredible and inspiring action in San Jose on January 27th, and it was great to see so many tribal members and Native and non-Native supporters from all over join in the protest.

Calpine was horrified by the size of the crowd, seeing over 200 people dressed in red, waving signs and chanting in front of their downtown offices. Calpine went into lockdown, even making it hard for reporters to come interview them, and they refused to be quoted on tape! I guess they have plenty to hide from.

Calpine claims their geothermal projects are "green energy," but the reality is they would pollute the air and environment, clearcut beautiful forests, build a massive industrial facility and infrastructure, and desecrate Medicine Lake, a place that is extremely sacred to the Native peoples of the area.

It is so important that people are learning about this struggle and the word is spreading. This will be really important as the spring gets closer, as Calpine may try to begin construction. Tribal members and supporters are planning to nonviolently, effectively and directly protect Medicine Lake. With everyone's support we can help Pit River Indians protect this beautiful place and defeat the environmental racism of Calpine and their friends in government.

Greenaction's website (and others including International Indian Treaty Council) will have regular updates and action alerts.

http://www.greenaction.org

To correct the above comment by "areader", Calpine's version of geothermal energy for electricity export is not renewable, nor is it the same type of geothermal energy used in other places. There are different types of geothermal, one example is the town of Klamath Falls OR uses a very different version of geothermal energy than what Calpine proposes. Calpine's geothermal is primarily for export, which will also result in linear clear cuts of hundreds of miles from Medicine Lake to Reno, Oregon and elsewhere. Calpine also needs to use underground explosions to release the geothermal for conversion the electricity. The extraction of geothermal energy in Calpine's plan is not renewable, only a temporary solution. After the geothermal energy is used up, Medicine Lake will be left with a polluted ecosystem and vacant industrial buildings. This process does not happen in Klamath Falls and other places where clean geothermal is used primarily for heating hot water..

Here is some info on the distinctions between various forms of geothermal, and why Calpine's geothermal plan is purely for short term profit..

http://www.mountshastaecology.org/12medicinelake15geothermalqa.html

2. Aren't there other uses geothermal energy?
There are three main categories, corresponding to progressively lower resource temperatures: electrical power generation, direct heating, and geothermal pumps. Direct heating pipes the warm geothermal fluids directly from the ground to heat greenhouses, homes, and workplaces. An example is the circulating geothermally heated water under the sidewalks in Klamath Falls Oregon that keep the pavement clear of snow and ice. The geothermal heat pump utilizes the ground temperatures to move heat in either direction -in the winter heat is extracted to warm a building and in the summer heat is removed from the building into the earth. In sharp contrast, electricity production requires a power plant industrial complex consisting of turbines, high voltage transmission lines, sump ponds, wellfields, 3-feet in diameter pipelines carrying 400-degree Fahrenheit geothermal fluids and numerous injection wells traversing a large land area.

3. How is electricity created from geothermal reservoirs?
Steam and hot water are utilized for the generation of electrical power. Heavy-duty high power rigs must drill down into the earth, sometimes to depths of 10,000 feet to tap into the 400-degree Fahrenheit steam or hot water, which is then brought to the surface and piped to turbines that spin generators to create electricity. Prior to actually producing electricity the geothermal wells must be "flow tested" and injected into the earth.

4. Electricity production is not the same as direct heating and geothermal pumps? That's correct, they are not the same. It is a common misunderstanding. Unfortunately, there are lots of serious environmental impacts resulting from geothermal electricity generation.

5. What kind of environmental impacts result with geothermal electricity production? First imagine a mining operation or an oil & gas field-massive drilling platforms are constructed and other forms of heavy equipment are used to clear-cut the forests and build new roads. Football field size dump ponds are constructed at each well pad which require liners because heavy minerals like mercury, chromium, cadmium, and arsenic are brought to the surface from the geothermal reservoir which would contaminate ground water. There are also substantial quantities of air emissions associated with geothermal energy production, which can impact the surface waters and wildlife life. Geothermal electricity production has the potential to impact the quality and quantity of water resources by drilling, blow-outs, discharges of toxic wastes, leaks and ruptures of pipelines & dump ponds, and from the fall-out of hydrogen sulfide & mercury to surface waters. Earthquakes are documented in many areas as disruptive to the surrounding communities; changing the flow and quality of springs, creeks, & groundwater; and releasing toxins from deep within the earth. The rumble and hiss and smells of the power plant turbines, cooling towers, and well drilling are part of the process to create electricity.

6. Air emissions from geothermal energy production? I thought it was clean? This is another misconception about geothermal electricity production. All of the current geothermal electricity producing areas in the U.S. have 'smoke stacks' except one, the binary power plant in Long Valley California. The dry-steam and dual-flash power plants have substantial air emissions that occur with geothermal electricity production---NO x [the precursor to ozone/smog], toxic gases like hydrogen sulfide [which is a neurotoxin and smells like rotten eggs], and other heavy metals like arsenic and mercury. Large quantities of diesel fuel are required to drill each well that produce tons of particulate matter [i.e. dust] that have been determined to be cancer-causing by the California Air Resource Board. The flow-testing and the operation of the actual power plant produce tons of the toxic hydrogen sulfide gas and depending on the resource, various amounts of the heavy metals like mercury, cadmium, chromium, and arsenic. Let me give you an example of the two 50 Mw power plants proposed at the Medicine Lake Highlands. If constructed, these projects would produce over 36 tons per year of hydrogen sulfide gases during 'normal' operations. This number does not include increased emissions from maintenance, power transmission line outages, or venting from the wellfield. Currently, there are no significant sources of this toxic gas in the Medicine Lake Highlands. Hydrogen sulfide monitoring equipment and alarms would be required at the campgrounds if these power plants were built.

8. Don't we need the renewable power? Won't the geothermal electricity help our country? The United States has vast potential for truly clean green renewable energy without geothermal electricity production. Geothermal reservoirs eventually decrease their productivity as the reservoir is depleted and thus are not truly renewable like solar or wind. California and the West have tremendous amounts of untapped solar power. In addition, energy efficient technology and conservation education would create jobs and a sustainable economy without jeopardizing our last remaining wild places and precious water resources.

9. So geothermal electricity production is not really green or renewable? No, it is not. The most "renewable" part of geothermal electricity occurs when nature is left wild and pristine and as a place to "renew" oneself. However, the geothermal industry needs you to believe that you are doing something good for the environment while they collect millions of your dollars in subsidies earmarked for "renewables" to construct geothermal power plants that perpetuate the technology of well-drilling, resource extraction, and the similar environmental impacts as those associated with oil and gas operations.

Simply put, the greenest thing about geothermal electricity production is the state and federal money given to the energy companies to build the industrial complexes.


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