This is Pensacola Beach, and this is precisely why we are working on the Gulf, and why we support the pending lawsuit filed by Center for Biological Diversity.

Pensacola Beach

This article was originally posted at CounterPunch.

“This. Is. Serious.”

Environmentalism is Dead

By GREGORY VICKREY

Another tragedy befalls the environment and we can count on those that were once environmentalists to capitalize, figuratively and literally. As you read, perhaps a 1000 or so organizations are happily signing (or being bribed to sign) yet another refined letter to President Obama, praising his efforts to date and encouraging ‘change’. With stellar coordination, you witness the appeals via email from these faux-enviros that clearly state how you can save the sea turtles, or protect the shrimp, or rid us of our reliance on oil by donating today.

This particular letter in circulation is about climate change, and is directly tied to the Gulf of Mexico in its appeal. As it stands, responsibility for pushing the letter lies with the minions at The Nature Conservancy (TNC), National Wildlife Federation (NWF), Repower America aka the Climate Protection Action Fund aka The Alliance For Climate Protection (RA), and a few others.

The letter begins with ‘applause’, as one would expect. Continue reading, and, apparently, President Obama has done an amazing job prioritizing clean energy, solving the climate crisis, enacting fuel efficiency standards that are defining a new paradigm for vehicular motion, and hitting all the right buttons at the Environmental Protection Agency. Who knew?

One can naturally assume The Nature Conservancy, National Wildlife Federation, and Repower America know. And with a thousand or so other signatures on yet another letter driven by the same old set of corporate enviros, the rest of us know something as well.

Environmentalism is dead.

In its place we have the notions of ‘pragmatic solutions’ and ‘noncontroversial approaches’ to appreciate.

Such words of discourse come from The Nature Conservancy itself. It is a disgrace to ecosystems everywhere and the next seven generations that they pimp nature dot org as their official website. A quick look-see into the world of TNC and comprehension dawns. Their corporate partners in environmental crime and shame:

3M Company
Alliant Energy
Altria Group
American Electric Power
Bank of America
Barrick Gold Corporation
The Boeing Company
BP
Cargill
Caterpillar Inc.
Chevron
The Coca-Cola Company
Delta Air Lines
The Dow Chemical Company
Duke Energy Corporation
Eastman Kodak Company
Ecolab Inc.
ExxonMobil Corporation
MeadWestvaco Corporation
Monsanto Company
Nestlé Waters North America
PG&E Corporation
Plum Creek Timber Company
SC Johnson & Son, Inc.
Temple-Inland
Weyerhaeuser Company
Xerox Corporation

Scratching your temple?

It is difficult to tell which organization was the most influential in writing the letter to President Obama, but it reads with the gimmickry of a Karl Rove production. Examining information about the National Wildlife Federation makes one consider that they, NWF, may have been the lead, considering they take donations from the likes of the US Environmental Protection Agency, the US Department of Defense, The Boeing Company, Walt Disney Company, and on, and on, and on. Care to visit with a Wolfowitz at a fundraiser? Throw a few thousand at NWF.

The mathematics of connection get simpler, even as the names get more complicated, with Repower America aka blah blah and blah. The CEO of National Wildlife Federation is on the board at RA. Repower America prostitutes itself with absurdity while dancing with John Kerry, Joe Leiberman, and Lindsey Graham – the “authors” of some pile of papers related to some charade about some climate (shout out to NRDC!) that will serve no useful purpose other than to keep the timber industry viable. Seeking relevance, Al Gore may be seen here at RA when he is not serving in his role at Apple Computer, Inc. of child-labor/sweatshop city fame. Repower America is also blessed with the presence of Joseph Stiglitz, a former Vice President at that most prestigious of entities, the World Bank.

To quote a Wonder Pet, “This. Is. Serious.”

Environmentalism is dead. It has been co-opted and corrupted to the point of absolute strangulation, and what remains of the corpse is being devoured rapaciously by the necrophiliacs at your favorite corporate-controlled big enviro – yes, the list of cannibals is much longer than The Nature Conservancy, National Wildlife Federation, and Repower America, and the responsibility lies with those not herein named to prove themselves worthy candidates for resurrection as organizations willing to serve the next seven generations instead of the next seven figures.

Without environmentalism, there are no environmentalists.

We must save ourselves and our planet as humans.

We know that there are likely more, but these are ones Karyn Strickler and I have personally vetted. Please help them by any means necessary. This list is in no particular order.

PLEASE SHARE FAR AND WIDE. Help one, help all:

http://www.Peaceoftheaction.org

http://www.southernenvironment.org/about/top_10_2010

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Gregory-Vickrey/40416433278?ref=ts

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=219721254423&ref=ts

http://climategroundzero.org/about-us/

http://www.ohvec.org/join/index.html#donate

http://www.climatestrategies.us/support.cfm

http://www.forestcouncil.org/join/

https://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/476/t/1173/shop/custom.jsp?donate_page_KEY=761&track=w9home

https://secureusa.greenpeace.org/securedonate3/index.php?from=donatenav

http://www.commondreams.org/donate

http://www.easycartsecure.com/CounterPunch/Donations.html

http://www.actforclimatejustice.org/n30-day-of-action/donate-support-funds/

https://secure.avaaz.org/act/?r=donate〈=en

https://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/1312/t/6849/shop/custom.jsp?donate_page_KEY=3630

http://gregoryvickrey.com/

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=159256783275&ref=ts

http://www.singlepayeraction.org

http://www.biologicaldiversity.org

http://www.seashepherd.org

http:/www.tongassconservation.org

If there are any groups you should be added, please let us know. If there are groups you believe need to be more scrutinized, let us know that as well. Your wishes to add to this organic list to improve it is paramount as a source for change.

(and I will add more direct links later)

Thanks,

Karyn and Gregory

Fourth Quarter Results are in with outstanding results
contact | Gregory Vickrey – gregoryATgregoryvickrey.com or 202.487.1201

On June 18, 2009, GVConsulting ventured into the realm of socially responsible investing, putting together a comprehensive plan to maximize profits while doing positive things for the planet. Through rigorous (and proprietary) mathematical analysis, as well as utilization of input from potential and actual investors, we believe we have created the most proactive investment strategy in the world to date.

For a snapshot, here are our June 18,2009, opening results:
$100 000.00

Further, here are our results as the end of the official Q4:
$179 262.37

In just over 6 months, our Q2 results bear 79% profit- all in green, socially responsible investments. These results take into consideration donations to nonprofits selected by long term investors.

Congratulations to all who have benefited to this point. We look forward to bigger things to come in the new year. Keep an eye out for an end of year report, as well as prospects for the new decade.

Take care,

Gregory

Enjoy our initial list of activities that will drive change in an ever increasing difficult environment to bring about justice and peace and prosperity for all. We will be adding references for these selections soon. Spread the word, friends; 2010 is upon us and time slows for no man or woman.

New year, stronger fronts. Here we begin a list of things to do in 2010 to bring monumental change to the systems that are holding down “we, the people”. Add your ideas. We will compile the one’s slated to have the most impact, and act accordingly. I, and others, can also add resources as we go along.

1. Refuse to pay your income taxes this – and every – year, until systemic change is realized.

2. Remove your money from the big banks that meddle in everything from investment scams to insurance fraud, and re-invest those dollars in community credit unions (nonprofits).

3. Compile a list of nonprofits you have donated to recently. Send that list to us at NAR. Here, we will analyze it, and send you notice back about where your money really goes.

4. If you invest, or consider investing in the new year, speak with Gregory Vickrey.

Greetings Friends,

While I had a productive and enjoyable time in DC thanks to colleagues and proactive friends ready to deal with the messes our country faces, alarm bells continued to ring from every block I walked, and every train I hopped.

First, drinking from a glass half full, I would like to thank my hosts in Columbia Heights who let me ramble on about leftism as well as sleep in their comfortable environs. You all at the Peace House are good people.

Further, it was a joy to be able to interact with Amy Belanger (she is on Facebook but I do not know how to tag her – feel free to search for her among my friends), as we are like-minded souls in search for measurable solutions to the goings on in this world with the express intent to improve the global condition.

Other visits to organizations and with the scattered individual were likewise inspiring.

But let there be no mistake: Washington DC is corporate occupied territory. The machine guns blocking entrances to parking zones next to congressional offices attest to the fear the government (OUR government) has for us “average citizens”. The culture of intimidation permeates nearly every street of import, and acknowledges that this is no longer America the Free.

We have a lot of work to do to bring the power brokers to heel and back in line with where we, the American public, would like to go. Unpopular wars, half-assed attempts at reforming healthcare, a tax code no one can understand except for the corporate attorneys looking for (and finding) loopholes, are just a few of the examples of the outright extortion of the American public one can view visiting with just a small segment of the DC community.

The beltway is corrupt, and that means our country is complicit in this corruptness.

It is time we all pay attention, and take action.

While my one man visit may make an impact for a day or two, we need to coalescence into thousands in DC and millions across the country, regardiess of partisanship, and take our country back from the rich, out-of touch cronies that propagate the White House, the Senate, the Congress, and the administrations that convolute laws and space and time to suit their greatest benefactors – those corporations that hold no vote, and are constitutionally prohibited from exerting any powers.

If we do not do it, who will?

Peace and strength and fortitude be with you in our collective march towards a just world.

This afternoon, GVC negotiated and closed its first major financial arrangement with a large investor.  The deal guarantees an initial nonprofit investment of 15%, with an additional 15% of profits generated going to nonprofits on a quarterly basis. The deal will utilize 75% as venture capital for socially responsible companies, further enabling commercial interests that put communities and global well-being first.

More details to come soon!

One of the more intriguing programs we are creating here at GVC lies within the realm of Socially Responsible Investing, or SRI. The SRI effort was pioneered years ago by colleague Peter Camejo and his company Progressive Asset Management. The tradition continues today as more and more investors become cognizant of the impacts they have simply by moving their moneys around from corporation to corporation.

Some companies abuse the good will and precedent setting of the reputable entities; funds like Green Century purport to be “green” while still sticking your moneys into corporations like General Electric and Exxon – even so, they lose your money on a consistent basis. Take a look at their performance records over the last 10 years and see for yourself.

In short, “greenwashing” in the investment arena should not be any more palatable – especially when generating a consistent loss – than in any other corporate arena.

So we at GVC have constructed a new paradigm, based on strong investment potential, highly transparent screening processes, sound mathematical modeling for potential returns, and peace of mind for the green investor.

In the very near future we will have a dedicated site for this service; in the meantime, feel free to drop a comment to this post or contact us via email or phone for our most up-to-date prospectus, questionnaires, and the like.

This is yet another way GVC, businesses, individual investors, and nonprofits can work together to make the world a better, more balanced environment for all shareholders. And when it comes to mother earth, that is exactly what we are – stakeholders in the greatest asset available to us, our living planet.

One of the things we here at GVConsulting take pride in is measurable and verifiable success of nonprofit organizations around the country and globe. Some we have assisted, and others we hope to assist in the near future.

Vida Verde Nature Education is one such organization. Visit their website and learn about their inspiring work to bring kids from underprivileged and under-served areas of the San Francisco Bay region to their working farm at Half Moon Bay, California.

Their work is phenomenal, and we hope to post a complete interview with one of their founders soon. In the meantime, contact them through their website to learn how you can help, donate, or send words of praise.

They are a favorite of ours, and we hope they will be one of yours, as well.

As always, feel free to contact us for more information.

One of the things we will be doing in the coming weeks is highlighting some success stories for environmental groups around the country (and eventually the world). From small and worthy groups, to the large bohemoths that love to take corporate money for all the wrong reasons, we will keep you posted on our goings on, as well as theirs. Stay tuned, and either drop a line in the blog, or send an email for questions, comments, and suggestions.

Finally, if you would like to send an article to be posted on our site, please let us know.